Today is National Aboriginal Day and across the country there will be events to uphold and celebrate the 1.2 million First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples in Canada and their culture.We have a sorry record of "right relatoinships" with aboriginal peoples but we are attempting to improve.
This August the United Church of Canada General Council will decide on changing the colours of the Crest to reflect the aboriginal medicine wheel. There is also a proposal to add a phrase in Mohawk, a first contact people which says "all my relations." What really matters is that our denomination honour our long-standing relationship with First Nations and honour the contribution of Native spirituality.
Take a lookat what moderator Mardi Tindal has to say on the fourth anniversary of Canada's Native apology and look at the CBC series 8th Fire which addresses the breadth of aboriginal culture.
http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100013248
http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/8thfire/2011/10/looking-into-the-fire.html
How have you grown and changed in your understanding of First Nations peoples? What do we need to do better in Canada? What do you think of the proposed Crest changes?
Still thinking about the changes to the crest. Was it asked for by the natives? Would they welcome it or see it as an infringement of their beliefs? Would like to know more before I thought it was a good change or not.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that reps from All Native Circle were consulted Laurie although you aren't the first person to ask this question. There is always the concern for cultural appropriation. The United Church is pretty sensitive about this.
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