This year’s meeting was held from September 19th -21st^, at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, in Lake Melville. Friday was a travel day, as some had to drive over 500 kilometers to get there. We gathered in prayer Saturday morning to share and learn together from and among our parishes, through guest speakers and activities, and then to end the weekend officially with Sunday worship. In addition to our bishop and executive archdeacon, we were thrilled to welcome several guests this year. The Rev’d Kudzaishe Alois Manenji, a fellow priest in the parish of Forteau, a part of the diocese of Western NL, accepted the bishop’s invitation to join us in fellowship. He serves the parish there across the communities of Forteau, L’Anse au Clair, L’Anse au Loup, and Capstan Islands. Only 140 kilometres away from Lodge Bay and closer to Southeast Labrador than any parish within the archdeaconry, it was nice to meet our neighbour, “Father K,” and learn of his ministry and experience of Labrador.

Our other guests helped us to grow and learn more about the work of the Indigenous Church, and how we can support and encourage each other in our shared faith and ministry. The Most Reverend Christopher Harper, our National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop, joined by his wife, Tracy, was a source of inspiration and had us weeping with laughter and tears as he shared the story of their life, his ministry, and the story of our Indigenous brothers and sisters, their faith, and identity within the Anglican Church of Canada. He told stories with humour and grace to endear and to challenge, to educate and question, to call us to prayer and to action in reconciliation. Tom Mugford, Canon for Indigenous Ministries and Advocacy, helped us reflect on our time with Archbishop Harper, and on our place within God’s creation exploring the history of Indigenous presence and Settler arrival in Canada through “Mapping the Ground We Stand On,” a workshop from Alongside Hope.

Saturday ended with a reflection on the Gospel using the Gospel-based discipleship pattern of prayer from the Indigenous Church. Our weekend ended officially with a call to action from our Archbishop in his Sunday sermon: a call to love and action in serving each other as part of God’s family, and celebrated through the ordination of Paul Saunders, who was made a Deacon. The hospitality of St. Andrew’s through the use of their space and hosting us for lunch and nutrition breaks on Saturday, and a parish lunch following worship on Sunday, was a gift to us all. Being a part of their joy in celebrating their new Rev’d Paul was a blessing.

While our clergy and delegates made their way home that afternoon, Bishop Sam, Archbishop Harper, Tracy, and I prepared to travel to Rigolet. Rigolet holds a unique significance within the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador: though there are many Indigenous people in our diocese, it is the only Indigenous parish here, and is situated within the settlement area of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement and a member of the Anglican Council of Indigenous People. We flew into Rigolet on Monday morning where we toured the community, making a special visit to the local K-12 school, Northern Lights Academy, and spending the afternoon there, joining the combined Kindergarten to Grade 4’s in their Inuktitut class, and then the grade 7’s in their religion class. It was a delight to be with such friendly and inquisitive young people and watch them learning about their culture and history. The evening was spent with the community as we shared a pot-luck meal and worship, the service of Holy Eucharist being especially blessed through Archbishop Harper’s preaching and a holy time of prayer, including the laying on of hands in prayer by both bishops. It was a gift for all those in attendance to then invite our bishops and Tracy to allow us to circle them, and pray for them in their ministries.

Tuesday in Rigolet included some home visiting, a tour of the local women’s shelter, Kirkina House—of which St. Timothy’s is a partner in its operation under “The Rigolet Partnership Against Family Violence”—and a stop at the Strathcona Museum and Net Loft historic site where artifacts, records, and displays are kept. The craft shop was a popular stop along the way to see the handiwork of local craft producers. Helping at the school through the local school lunch programme was a hands-on activity that day, as hairnets and gloves were donned and we assisted in preparing honey-garlic ribs and vegetable rice in take-out containers to be distributed to all children—a twice-a-week programme ensuring all children have access to a hot, nutritious lunch.

A 30-minute flight on a Provincial Airlines Twin Otter took us back to Happy Valley-Goose Bay that evening, and early flights for the bishops and Tracy took them all home on Wednesday. Archbishop Harper’s first trip to the Archdeaconry of Labrador was jam-packed, and it did indeed include bakeapple and partridgeberry jam. Whether it was the jam or the people, or maybe both, he’s looking forward to his next visit with us…and so are we.

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From the first moments, the atmosphere was unlike any other Church gathering we have attended. This was a room of Indigenous Anglicans, and not simply Anglicans who happen to be Indigenous, but people whose faith and identity are inseparable. That distinction shaped every prayer, every conversation, and every decision we made together.

Worship anchored our days, with morning and evening liturgies blending Gospel-based discipleship with ceremony, song, drumming, and dance. We prayed in our own languages, smudged, and celebrated God’s presence in ways that were both deeply Christian and deeply Indigenous. In those moments, we saw the Anglican Church at its most beautiful, rooted in tradition, yet fully alive to the gifts of culture and community.

Over the course of the week, there were also three special days where participants wore colours to mark shared commitments and remembrance:

Orange to remember the former students and survivors of the residential school system

Black to honour the call to end racism for all

Red to honour and remember missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse peoples. (photo at the top of this page)

The work of Sacred Circle was not only ceremonial. We wrestled with questions of governance, representation, and how to live into Our Covenant and Our Way of Life.

We discussed structures grounded in our own ways of knowing, being, and doing, the structures that would allow us to be truly self-determining while remaining in loving relationship with the wider Anglican Church of Canada.

There were moments of hard truth-telling, with stories of hurt, loss, and the long shadow of colonialism, but also moments of joy and laughter. Elders offered words of wisdom. Youth spoke with vision and hope. I was struck by the humility of our leaders, who reminded us that self-determination is not about power for its own sake, but about service and about building a church that nurtures our people, strengthens our languages, and walks alongside our communities in both struggles and celebrations.

As we left Calgary, we carried a renewed sense of what it means to be part of this movement. Sacred Circle is not just a meeting; it is a living witness to God’s reconciling love, expressed in an Indigenous voice. It is a place where faith and culture dance together, where Gospel and tradition strengthen one another, and where the future feels possible.

Back home in Newfoundland and Labrador, we are encouraged to keep walking “beyond the treeline,” and toward a Church that is fully alive to who God has called us to be, here in our own lands and communities.

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From 1831 to 1996, over 130 federally funded, church-run residential schools were attended by more than 150,000 Indigenous children. The goal, as Canada’s first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald, so succinctly put it, was to “take the Indian out of the child,” or forced assimilation. It was a cultural genocide that has reverberated through generations of Indigenous Peoples through intergenerational trauma. 

Newfoundland and Labrador had five residential schools that were administered by the Government of Newfoundland, and operated by the International Grenfell Association and the Moravian Mission. Canada’s role was to provide funding to the province to be used for educational needs of Indigenous students in Labrador. 

Newfoundland and Labrador was left out of the 2008 apology by then Prime Minister Stephen Harper. However, after a class action lawsuit settlement hearing in 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau traveled to Happy Valley-Goose Bay on November 24, 2017, to deliver an apology on behalf of the federal government. An excerpt from his apology includes, “To the survivors who experienced the indignity of abuse, neglect, hardship and discrimination by the individuals, institutions and system entrusted with your care, we are truly sorry for what you have endured. We are sorry for the lack of understanding of Indigenous societies and cultures that led to Indigenous children being sent away from their homes, families and communities and placed into residential schools. We are sorry for the misguided belief that Indigenous children could only be properly provided for, cared for, or educated if they were separated from the influence of their families, traditions, and cultures.” 

As part of the journey of  Reconciliation, the Diocese of Eastern NL, under the leadership of Bishop Sam Rose, has appointed a Lay Canon in the office of Indigenous Ministries and Advocacy in the Cathedral Chapter. As someone who is proudly Indigenous and also an active member of the Anglican Church, I am  grateful that our bishop, has created this role and has chosen me to be in this role. It is my role to work with the diocese and our congregations as we journey to reconciliation. 

Bishop Sam makes it clear in his ministry and episcopacy that rebuilding and deepening relationships with Indigenous peoples is a priority for him and the diocese. In the rebuilding and repairing, it is the intent that Indigenous spirituality in whatever form, is not in addition to the worship or liturgy, but an integral part of the worship and liturgy.  

June is identified as National Indigenous History Month in Canada, a time to recognize the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Metis and Inuit. National Indigenous Day takes place on the summer solstice, June 21. It is a day set aside to learn more about the rich and diverse cultures, the various voices, experiences, and histories of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit. Learning about and with Indigenous peoples, places, and experiences is a step forward on the path to reconciliation. 

Well-known American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better, and once you know better, you do better.”  How could we begin to do better? You could, build right and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous peoples and organizations. You could take time to familiarize yourselves with the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and you could use your voice. Often marginalized people have limited or no voice. Add your voices to theirs. Use your inherent privilege to build a more fair and equitable community. 

Reconciliation by definition is an ongoing process through which Indigenous Peoples and settlers work together, cooperatively, to establish and maintain a healthy relationship. 

As the national church, dioceses, and parishes continue to find ways to rebuild and deepen relationships with Indigenous peoples and organizations, there will be opportunities for everyone be active participants on the journey. 

Mark’s Gospel tells us “and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”  Wherever you are on the journey to reconciliation, remember: if it is not about love, it is not about God. Because, with God, it is all about love. 

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A NEAR CAPACITY CROWD attended an Indigenous/Anglican service at Holy Trinity Church in Meadows on June 25th, 2023. The service was led by the Rev’d George Critchell.

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Initially the workshop was designed to be parish-led, but in June 2019, PWRDF invested in training nine facilitators from across Canada, dedicated volunteers who are passionate about truth and reconciliation, to deliver the workshop. In August 2022, three more facilitators joined the ranks, to meet the growing demand from Anglicans wanting to learn more about the history and legacy of colonization. Tom Mugford, a lay canon in the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, appointed by Bishop Sam Rose to lead Indigenous Ministries and Advocacy, was trained in Ottawa with Karen Luyendyk and Audrey Lawrence. Mugford and Lawrence are both Indigenous, bringing non-Settler perspectives and voices to the team. 

When the pandemic hit and congregations were unable to gather, our facilitators were sidelined. At first, it seemed like a daunting task to replicate the tangible and visceral feelings of walking on the giant floor map of Canada, the centrepiece of the workshop.

But as the pandemic took hold in 2021, and with the devastating discovery of unmarked graves next to residential schools, so too did the desire for greater understanding and reconciliation. “We realized we needed to create a virtual version for groups to use online, and that could complement the in-person workshop down the road, when pandemic restrictions lifted,” says Rumsey.

The map is still front and centre in the virtual presentation. But instead of laying the names of Indigenous groups on the floor, the names appear on the map on the screen while participants read them over Zoom. As the facilitator guides participants through the waves of immigration coming to Canada over the centuries, arrows swoop in with text to populate the map. The virtual workshop also makes use of video technology and resources that were sometimes unwieldy or optional in the original version.

Today PWRDF is revving up to launch the Mapping Exercise 3.0, a new and improved in-person version that combines the best of the original workshop with some of the video pieces of the virtual workshop for groups that are able to gather in person. The online version will still be offered.

Mugford, a beneficiary of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement, first learned of the Mapping Exercise through Archdeacon Charlene Taylor, a former Diocesan Representative for PWRDF. She had been asked to recommend someone to the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada to join the facilitator team. “Knowing my connection and personal history she recommended me,” says Mugford. “So I attended a meeting with Suzanne Rumsey and [PWRDF Volunteer Coordinator] Kim Umbach and thought I could handle it.” Yet Mugford admits he went to the training in Ottawa with some trepidation. “You can sometimes feel very vulnerable when going into these kinds of settings, not knowing what you’ll be presented with, but all my fears were gone right away.”

There’s a word Mugford likes to use: reconcile-action. “It means actually doing something,” he says. “PWRDF has created a very tangible education piece for the country. You as the settler get to see your place in this history of Canada, and that’s important too. People are inspired to continue their learning but don’t leave traumatized. They develop a sense of empathy and understanding, versus pity. You learn to make a difference in the world and use your privilege. Reconciliation is not about pointing fingers, it’s acknowledging where we are as a country and where we are as a church.”

Mugford is a parishioner at St. Mark’s Anglican Church in St. John’s but visits various churches in his role at the diocese. Baptised by Bishop Sam in June 2002, he sees Indigenous spirituality as “part of the Anglican tradition, not in addition to it.”

To learn more about the Mapping Exercise or to book one for your parish or community group, visit pwrdf.org/mapping-exercise.

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In his post on Facebook, Bishop Organ said: “The goal of this potential development is to continue the work of reconciliation with our Indigenous sisters and brothers and to walk together into the future with respect, harmony, and goodwill. Burgeo will be one of the first rural communities in our diocese to take this important and reconciling step. So very thankful to the Band, the Town of Burgeo, the Anglican Parish by the Sea, the Diocese of Western Newfoundland (Labrador Straits), and the Anglican Church of Canada. So very grateful especially to God, our Creator.”

Following this reconciliation event, on National Indigenous Peoples’ Day (June 21st), The Diocese of Western Newfoundland officially proclaimed the Indigenous Land Acknowledgment in their parishes, which had been a decision made at their Diocesan Synod. It says the following:

“We respectfully acknowledge the territory in which we gather as the ancestral homelands of the Beothuk*, and the island of Newfoundland as the ancestral homelands of the Mi’kmaq and Beothuk. We would also like to recognize the Inuit of Nunatsiavut and NunatuKavut and the Innu of Nitassinan, and their ancestors, as the original people of Labrador. We strive for respectful relationships with all the peoples of this province as we search for collective healing and true reconciliation and honour this beautiful land together.
*The Beothuk are now understood to be an extinct First Nation. The last Beothuk, Mary March (Demasduit), died 1820, age 23.”

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