The 2023 National Indigenous Spiritual Gathering will take place in Treaty 6 Territory in Edmonton from July 27 through July 30. The theme is “Our Strong Voices.”

We will hear from Moderator Carmen Lansdowne in a keynote address on Friday, July 28. Other program elements include panel and audience discussions of the national drug use and suicide crisis, missing children and unmarked burial sites, the remit removing barriers from the formation of the new Indigenous Church, and business from the five Circles of the Indigenous Church.

In addition, new members of the National Indigenous Elders Council and the new National Indigenous Council will be installed. There will be celebrations of students and those ordained/commissioned in last four years, as well as a memorial to those who have passed on to the Spirit World since 2019.

There’s a broad range of workshop opportunities, including Naloxone training, anti-racism, Two-Spirit issues, TRC Call to Action 46 (Covenant of Reconciliation), Indigenous Testamur, care of vulnerable children, United Church Archives, Healing Fund, and the Indigenous Office of Vocation.

The National Indigenous Spiritual Gathering will be a time for 35 Indigenous young people to come together and build community. They will learn hand drum songs and make arts and crafts, and there will be time for swimming and other activities to enjoy together. It’s a time to meet new friends, reconnect with old friends, and have a fun-filled time together.

As always, there will be evening entertainment, including the “Silent Auction with a Twist,” also known as the “Not-So-Silent Auction”. There will also be plenty of time to gather and share stories at the Sacred Fire.