UniquefeaturesofanIndigenousProvince,TheConfederacyofIndigenousSpiritualMinistry
1. AppropriateresourcesforleadershipformationincludingrespectforIndigenous
community’scalltoleadership
2. Indigenousordinationcanonsandappropriatetrainingforministry
3. Incorporationoftraditionalceremoniesandteachingsintoliturgy.Example,naming
ceremonywithbaptism.
4. HighvalueonEldersandyouth.
5. Culturalstructure,structuresthatfitthecommunity.
6. BetterrelationshipsbetweenIndigenouscommunitiesandwithsettlercommunities.
7. MoreauthorityforNationalIndigenousAnglicanBishop.
8. Circularleadership,sharedleadershipthatisoneofequityandthegiftsandtalents
ofallarehonoredandutilized.
9. Meaningfulprayerbooksandhymnals.Hymnsin“CommonPraise”aredifficultto
sing,wordsinBookofCommonPrayermaybeforeigntotheIndigenous
community.
10. Ministryplansgroundedinthebaptismalcovenant,theFiveMarksofMissionand
theSevenTraditionalTeachingsarethebasisforrespondingtocrisesinour
communitiesandinmakingjustice.
11. Strongerfocusonstewardshipoftheland,usingtheCreator’sgifttosustainmission
andministry.
12. ChurchtoNationrelationship,respectingandhonoringIndigenoussecular
leadership.
13. Highvalueonhealingfromhistoricaltraumaandothertraumaprevalentinour
Indigenouscommunities.
Wewillselectfourpartnerstobeginwith:PerhapsTheOfficeoftheNationalIndigenous
AnglicanBishop,Mishamikoweesh,Missinipi,Haudenosaunee(SixNations).Theseare
examplesofareasthatmaybesuitedtobepartnersintheConfederacyofIndigenousSpiritual
MinistryintheAnglicanChurchofCanada.Therecouldbeothersthatarebettersuitedbutthe
firstandforemostcriteriaforbeingapartneristhatitbesupportedbytheFirstNation’s
secular(non-church)andnon-secular(church)leadership.ACovenantofMutualMinistrythat
outlinesexpectationswillbedevelopedforeachareaanditmaydifferfromareatoarea.Once
wedeterminewhothefourwillbe,andoncewesolidifytheConfederacy,wewillmakeaplan
toincludeothers.
TheRationale
ManyhavesaidthatIndigenouspeopleinCanadahaveexperiencedaculturalgenocidethat
stemsfromtheDoctrineofDiscovery;averylonghistoryofthingsthatweregivenbythe
Creatortakenaway.Theyweretakenaway,forthemostpart,inanattempttoassimilateand
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oftenexterminateIndigenouspeople.However,Indigenouspeopleareresilientsurvivorsand
foundwaystopreservethecultureevenitmeanthidingitfromplainview.Thereisnothingin
ourculturesthatisevilandmostIndigenousculturesshowgreatthanksgivingforthegiftsgiven
fortheirjourneyuponMotherEarth.Ourfirstresponsibilityistobethankful.
TheuniquefeaturesofaConfederacyofIndigenousSpiritualministryareanefforttoreclaim
ourculturesandinherentrights(therighttolandandsubsistenceresourcesandactivities,the
righttoself-determinationandself-governance,therighttoourcultureandcustomsincluding
languageandreligion,tonameseveral)inplaceswhereitisnowappropriate.Inrecentyears
therehasbeenastrongmovementtorememberwhoweareasIndigenouspeopleoftheland.
TheIdleNoMoremovementisonesucheffort.Itisalsoimportanttonotethatmanyinthe
movementareyoungpeople;youngpeopleyearntoknowwhotheyareasIndigenouspeople
andarelookingatwaystorestoretheirspiritualityortheCreator’spurposefortheirlivesand
howtheybecomeoneofthe“GoodMind.”Ourchurchcanhelpbymovingintoaspacethat
allowsourcultureintoworshipandintoourself-determination.Wehavetoputawaythe
colonialpracticesthatwehavelearnedandbeginthinkingofwhatourancestorssaidanddidas
theymovedaboutonMotherEarth.Itisallthere,wejusthavetoopenourheartsandmindsto
seeandfeelit.
Leadershipdevelopmentisakeypartoftheformationofthisconfederacy.Traditionally,
communitiescallpeopletobeleaders.Everychildiswatchedbythecommunitytoseewhat
giftsandtalentstheypossess,especiallythosethatmakegoodleaders.TheylookfortheSeven
TraditionalTeachingsineachperson.AmongSixNation’speopleadditionalvaluesinclude:
fairness,kindness,confidentiality,consistency,integrity,responsibility,responsiveness,
cooperation,andopenness.Inourproposedconfederacythepeoplewouldbeasked,“Who,
here,wouldbeagoodspiritualleaderforyourcommunity?Theywouldthentalktothebishop
aboutthecalltospiritualleadershipwithorwithoutthepersontheywanttocall.Otherthings
tobeconsideredinthisprocessare:communitydeterminedneededandappropriatetraining;
identificationofatleastonementor;communityexpectationsofaspiritualleader;
identificationoflayworkerstoministerwiththeSpiritualleader.Thecommunityalso
determinesthewellnessofthepersonbeingcalled,theymustbeinbalancewithmind,body,
spiritandemotions;theymustbeoftheGoodMind.Thecallcomesfromthepeople,notfrom
theindividual.A“self-call”goesagainstthetraditionalteachingofhumility.
Someofourcommunitieswanttoincludemoretraditionalpracticesintheirworship.Others
don’twantitandthatneedstoberespected.Forthosethatdo,wemustmakesureitis
authenticandauthenticitycanbeborrowedaslongasitisexplained.Forexample,whydowe
smudgeandwhatistheproperwaytosmudge?Thiscanvaryfromcommunitytocommunity
soitisbesttofindoutwhyandhowitisdoneforthatarea.AsaMohawkwoman,Ihavebeen
taughtthatoursacredmedicinesareburnedtocarryourprayerstotheCreatorandarenot
justforpurificationofselforcleansingofnegativeenergyintheroomorarea.MervinWolfleg
offeredateachingontheproperwaytosmudgeatameetingandithasstayedwithmesince
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then.Wesmudgeoursenses–eyes,mouth,nose,ears,heart,touch(hands)andthetopof
headwheretheCreatorbreathedlifeintous.Wealsoremoveglassesandjewelrysothey
won’t“stop”thesmudge.Manyofoureldersweretoldthatdrums,rattles,language,dances
wereofthedevilandnottobebroughtintothechurchandinmanycommunitiesnoteven
usedoutsideofthechurchproper.IknowofoneInupiaqvillageinAlaskathatlosttheirdancing
becausetheyweretolditwasevil.Fortunately,theywereabletoreclaimtheirdance.Iwas
therewhenthedancecamebackanditwasemotional,tearfilledbutyetajoyousoccasion.All
ofthepeopleweresmilinganditisthisjoythatweneedtoreclaim.
Muchemphasishasalwaysbeenplacedonmoneytodoministry,However,inanIndigenous
context,thisisnotasimportantasfirsthavingaclearvision.Therewasabishopwhotalked
abouthavinga“fundablevision.”Thisisstiflingandsadly,thatdioceseisstillpinchingpennies
whilemanyIndigenouscommunitiesgowithoutthesacraments.Wehavetodreambigandif
wearecommitted,believethattheCreatorwillblessuswiththemeanstorealizethedream.
Thatdoesnotmeanthatwehavedon’thavetodoourpart.Weneedtolookatstewardshipin
ourcommunitiesandhowweconvertsubsistence(livingofftheland)tocashtokeepour
churchesgoing.Forexample,ourcommunitieshavemanyartisanswhosewbeautiful
beadwork.Whynotsellitandgiveaportiontothechurch?Biblically,wehavetorememberthe
titheof10%ofyourtreasure.ThereisachurchontheYukonRiverthatcouldbarelybuya
barrelofoiltoheatthechurchonSunday.Theylearnedabouttithingandalthoughonlyfive
couldtithe10%,itwasenough.TheynowkeepthefiregoingthroughoutthecoldChristmasso
thatthosewithoutheatcantakerefugeinthechurchandnotfreezetodeath.And,howdowe
takecareofourclergywhoministerwithoutpay?Domembersofthechurchtakethemwood
inthewinter,mooseinthefall,ducksinthespringorfishinthesummer?Thesearesometimes
betterthanmoney!
Thesearesomeexamplesofhowwebringourcultureintoourchurch.Somemaynotagree
andthat’sokay.Somemayhaveotherandevenbetterideas,andthat’sokay.Somewillsayour
churchwillbespirituallystrongerandthatiscertainlygood.Whicheverwaywego,wewill
needtomakesurethatwetakethetimetotellourrelativeswhereandwhywearegoing.But,
wearenotgoingaway,onlyfindingwaystomakeastrongerpartnershipwiththeAnglican
ChurchofCanada,
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