The Children Remembered Website Update

Screen shot of The Children Remembered website

The United Church Archives has recently redesigned its website detailing the United Church's history of residential schools, The Children Remembered. It includes narrative histories of and photo archives from the schools and serves as an important memorial. (If you are a residential school survivor and viewing this site causes you or someone you know distress, please call the Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419.)

New Blog Posts on Reconciliation and Anti-Racism

Red square with a handprint with the word "Enough" on top of it

Check out The United Church of Canada’s “Round the Table” blog for a couple of new posts from within the Indigenous Ministry and Justice community. One deals with the need for settler colonials to understand and accept their place in history and ongoing colonization if they are truly committed to reconciliation. Another is a powerful statement for what it would take to truly confront White supremacy as we seek to become an anti-racist church.

[Credit: Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay]

TRC Calls to Action: Child Welfare and UNDRIP

Both child welfare and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples were key components of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action. They are key components of reconciliation, and both are currently on the political agenda.

Parliamentary hearings into Bill C-15, An act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples are set to get underway. You can follow the Bill’s progress through the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs. As this legislation to implement UNDRIP moves forward, so does the Canadian government’s opposition to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal’s decisions from 2016 to 2020 that Canada discriminates against Indigenous children in its provision of services. Canada is appealing a CHRT decision on eligibility for First Nations kids off reserve who are recognized by their Nations. Hearings will take place in June.