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