Preface And Acknowledgements


Thank you for taking the time to explore the Canadian Unitarian Council's Truth, Healing and Reconciliation Reflection Guide (THRRGuide) . We have collected educational multimedia materials for Lifespan Learning about the process of colonization, in particular the Indian Residential School System and its impacts on our history and present-day life. This material was developed to provide Unitarian Universalist context through activities, reading lists, reflection questions and spiritual exercises for different ages.

Reflection Guides are being developed for the following age groups:

  • Lower Elementary (ages 6 to 8)
  • Upper Elementary (ages 9 to 13)
  • Youth (ages 14 to 18)
  • Young Adults (ages 19-35)
  • Adult (19 and up)

We are beginning in 2015 with the Upper Elementary and Adult Reflection Guides, and will follow up with the Lower Elementary, Youth, and Young Adult Reflection Guides.

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This Reflection Guide arises out of the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) and Unitarian Universalist Ministers of Canada's (UUMOC) Expression of Truth & Reconciliation, offered through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to those who experienced the Indian Residential School System and all those who have felt and continue to live with the effects of it. (For the full Expression, see Handout 1.6). In that Expression, two of the actions we committed to were:

  • To assemble and promote educational materials for our congregations regarding the history and impact of the Indian Residential School system.
  • To continue to encourage our congregations and their members to learn more about the richness of Aboriginal spirituality and cultures, working together to advance the struggle for justice for Aboriginal people.

This Reflection Guide was created in response to those commitments.

Because there are so many resources available now about this topic, we are approaching this Reflection Guide as a living document. It will continue to develop and grow as we develop our skills in intercultural communication, learn about new resources, and improve ways of offering them. We are pleased to be able to offer the Reflection Guide through an online platform so we can be responsive to these changes.

We are grateful to those people who supported us, consulted with us, and offered resources. While we cannot name them all here, as the list would go on and on, we do want to recognize the following:

  • We consulted various Aboriginal elders and educators, as well as Non-Aboriginal educators who have considerably more experience in education and Aboriginal traditions than the members of our task force.
  • In particular, we would like to mention Wedlidi Speck, a registered member of the Namgis First Nation of Alert Bay, and the Head Chief of the Gixsam clan of the Kwakiutl tribe of Fort Rupert. Wedlidi has provided cultural training, advisory services and mentorship for 35 years. He consulted with us about our overall approach, and how to provide a cross-cultural experience. Currently, in 2015, Wedlidi works as the Director of Aboriginal Organizational Development with British Columbia's Ministry of Children and Family Development (including offering Indigenous Cultural Competency training).
  • Vyda Ng, the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) Executive Director, whose support made this Reflection Guide possible through the CUC.
  • The signatories to the Expression of Truth and Reconciliation in 2014: CUC President Gary Groot, Unitarian Universalist Minister of Canada President Debra Faulk (who suggested using our Unitarian Universalist principles in the Expression) and CUC Executive Director Vyda Ng.
  • Rev. Dr. Mark Morrison Read, for his moral and practical support, including sharing the discussion guide to his book The Selma Awakening as inspiration for our approach to sharing this Reflection Guide.
  • Jessica York, Unitarian Universalist Association's Faith Development Director, in their Ministries and Faith Development department, for consulting with us about how the UUA is offering education on colonization and cross-cultural experience.
  • Dr. Margot Hovey, who met with us in the early stages to lead us in exploring what each of us were bringing to the project in terms of our own assumptions, biases and fears, as well as our hopes and gifts.
  • The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, The National Film Board of Canada, Reconciliation Canada, Legacy of Hope, Aboriginal Healing Foundation, KAIROS Canada and all the other organizations that produced excellent materials referenced in this Reflection Guide.

We are aware of the privilege and responsibility of taking on this task on behalf of our Canadian Unitarian Universalist movement. We are not experts in this area: we are fellow travellers. We offer what we have learned and found useful as resources, as well as what others have recommended to us. We offer this Reflection Guide in humility, offering the best we have. By the time you read this, new information or perspectives will most likely have surfaced, rendering some of our offerings out of date. We offer it with best intentions, and will continue to update the content. We appreciate constructive feedback, so if you have suggestions, please let us know. We aim to learn along with you. If you would like to know about us and our backgrounds, see Appendix 1: About the Task Force. Together we will continue to develop this Reflection Guide and offer it to those around us, as we walk the path of truth, healing and reconciliation together.

The CUC's Truth, Healing & Reconciliation Reflection Guide Task Force:

Rev. Meg Roberts and Rev. Samaya Oakley (co-chairs), April Hope (CUC staff), Marlene Blake Seale, Amber Dawn Bellemare, Casey Stainsby, Leslie Kemp (members)