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During 2022 General Council deliberations, the General Council approved an amendment to the Basis of Union in The Manual of The United Church of Canada to establish an autonomous National Indigenous Organization. It also authorized a Category 3 Remit to test the will of the church with respect to this change.

Over the next several months Communities of Faith  across Canada will be looking at this remit. It will need to be voted on by our board but it is important that we understand what this is about.

Below is a collection of information that we have up to this point ... 

 

REMIT 1 – Information and Links

ON the GC44 Website (www.generalcouncil44.ca)

Remit 1: Establishing an Autonomous National Indigenous Organization | United Church 44th General Council (generalcouncil44.ca)

For more information email remits@united-church.ca 

To read the proposals, visit https://commons.united-church.ca/  

 Then select the following: Governance > General Council >  44th General Council > 3. Proposals > Theme - Nurture the Common Good.

And then select the document you wish to read:

  • GS10  Living into Reconciliation
  • NIC01 National Indigenous Circle—Restructuring of Indigenous Church.

United Church Video about the Remit: YouTube: https://youtu.be/d5KbFs8BRMw  approx. time = 6 minutes 

THE DOCTRINE OF DISCOVERY

The United Church Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery

Backgrounder and 2012 Motion to Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery (united-church.ca)

Doctrine of Discovery: Canadian Museum for Human Rights article The Doctrine of Discovery | CMHR (humanrights.ca)

THE UN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples https://united-church.ca/social-action/justice-initiatives/reconciliation-and-indigenousjustice/un-declaration-rights

UN Declaration and Canada https://justice.gc.ca/eng/declaration/index.html

The UN Declaration

 https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wpcontent/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf

THE CALLS TO ACTION (TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION)

Truth and Reconciliation Commission (including the Calls to Action) https://united-church.ca/social-action/justice-initiatives/reconciliation-and-indigenousjustice/truth-and-reconciliation

             

THE CALLS TO THE CHURCH (CARETAKERS OF OUR INDIGENOUS CIRCLE, UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA)

The Calls to the Church https://united-church.ca/community-and-faith/being-community/indigenous-ministries/callschurch

THE UNITED CHURCH APOLOGIES

United Church Apologies to Indigenous Peoples

https://united-church.ca/social-action/justice-initiatives/reconciliation-and-indigenousjustice/apologies

THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON ABORIGINAL PEOPLES (RCAP)

The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) Final Report is a huge document. If you wish to take a glance, here is the link: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/aboriginal-heritage/royalcommission-aboriginal-peoples/Pages/final-report.aspx

Nov 21, 2021 was the 25th anniversary of the final report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP)  https://www.cbc.ca/radio/royal-commission-aboriginal-peoples-25-1.6243545

Other Background Information:

JOURNEY TOWARD RECONCILIATION of THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA

Reconciliation 101 

This workshop recorded on April 29, 2021 offers an introduction to the non-Indigenous United

Church’s journey of reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. (Time=1:06)

Right Relations and Indigenous Justice Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council (wowrcucc.ca)

The video is embedded in the web page, and you can also click to access it directly on YouTube