Truth, Reconciliation, and Indigenous Ministries

Almost three decades ago, then-Primate and Archbishop Michael Peers apologized for the role of the National Anglican Church in residential schools. Since then, the 94 Calls to Action from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the 213 Calls for Justice from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls inquiry, have made it even more of an imperative for Anglicans to seek right relationships with Indigenous communities in the Diocese of Niagara and beyond.

The parishes within the Diocese of Niagara gather on the traditional territory of several Indigenous peoples, including the Neutrals, the Mississauga, the Anishnaabe, and the Haudenosaunee.

Our work in truth and reconciliation involves education, awareness-raising, parish resourcing, and concrete action at the diocesan level. We provide parishes with guiding documents, land acknowledgement materials, and prayer resources. We also connect Anglicans with national and international organizations working for Indigenous justice, including KAIROS, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, and the Anglican Church of Canada’s Indigenous Ministries.

This ministry belongs to the whole church. Reconciliation is an ongoing commitment to right relationship with Indigenous peoples, with the land, and with one another. Every parishioner and every parish has a role to play.