We call upon leaders of the church parties to the Settlement Agreement and all other faiths, in collaboration with Indigenous spiritual leaders, Survivors, schools of theology, seminaries, and other religious training centres, to develop and teach curriculum for all student clergy, and all clergy and staff who work in Aboriginal communities, on the need to respect Indigenous spirituality in its own right, the history and legacy of residential schools and the roles of the church parties in that system, the history and legacy of religious conflict in Aboriginal families and communities, and the responsibility that churches have to mitigate such conflicts and prevent spiritual violence.
Why “In Progress?”
Church Parties to the Settlement Agreement have all agreed to respect and honour Indigenous spirituality and various commitments to the church’s role in the history and legacy of residential schools and mitigating the spiritual violence within Indigenous communities. Schools of Theology and Seminaries are making progress.
Church Parties to the Settlement Agreement are:
- The Anglican Church of Canada
- The Presbyterian Church in Canada
- The Roman Catholic Entities Parties to the Settlement Agreement
- The United Church of Canada and
- The Jesuits of English Canada
Current Status
In Progress
Call to Action
last updated
June 26, 2024
Latest Updates
Church Parties Commitment to Indigenous Spirituality
First Nation, Catholic Church agree on residential school truths
‘Residential school system did do great damage,’ archbishop says Exterior of former Kamloops Indian Residential School on Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation land in Kamloops,……
June 26, 2024
Other Faith-Based Church commitments
Mennonite churches donate 1% of budget to Indigenous groups
NationTalk: Winnipeg Free Press – After Charleswood Mennonite Church adopted a statement of reconciliation with Indigenous people in 2021, congregation members decided to do more……
April 3, 2024
Other Faith-Based Church commitments
Other Faith-based Organizations Commitments
https://www.kairoscanada.org/what-we-do/indigenous-rights/churches-response-call-action-48…
March 31, 2016
Church Parties Commitment to Indigenous Spirituality
Catholic Organizations
The Catholic Response to Call to Action 48 of the TRC (On Adopting and Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples)……
March 29, 2016
Church Parties Commitment to Indigenous Spirituality
Anglican Church of Canada
Indigenous Ministries supports the Indigenous Peoples of Canada (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) spiritually, socially, economically and politically. We recognize that the purity of the……
June 2, 2015
Church Parties Commitment to Indigenous Spirituality
United Church of Canada
In February 2015 the United Church released a statement that acknowledges its complicity in the denigration of Aboriginal wisdom and spirituality: Affirming Other Spiritual Paths (see http://www.united-church.ca/social-action/justice-initiatives/apologies). The……
February 18, 2015
Church Parties Commitment to Indigenous Spirituality
Presbyterian Church of Canada (PCC)
PCC Statement on Aboriginal Spiritual practices: “First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, before any encounter with Christianity, found meaning, spiritual benefit and the presence of……
January 29, 2015