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The Truth and Reconciliation Team was formed to support the efforts of the Anglican Church of Canada to achieve reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit and Metis at the national, diocesan and local level. The Truth and Reconciliation Team meets monthly to

• learn about the perspectives and experiences of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis in Canada;
• organize learning events for the Parish;
• provide information on available resources and events in Ottawa; and
• develop understanding of our own biases.

Upcoming Events

Events at All Saints’ Westboro

• Wednesday, January 10, 2020 — ASW Reading Circle There, There
  The Reading Circle will be discussing There, There by Tommy Orange, a first novel which has received wide acclaim, being shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize and winning the Society of American Historians Prize for Historical fiction.  The novel tells the story of twelve Native American residents of Oakland, California, whose lives collide in the days leading up to the Big Oakland Powwow.  While anticipation of the powwow provides a baseline of suspense, the path Orange lights through the stories of these characters and their reasons for attending the powwow thrills on its own.  A riveting, fast-paced, multi-generational story about violence and recovery, memory and identity, and socioeconomic entrapment.
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  Saturday, January 25, 2020 – – Registration is now open for the Your Portal to Indigenous History Workshop.
  Use some of your own experiences to learn about the Indigenous Peoples of North America. You’ll leave with starting points to explore traditional territories, languages, treaties, reservations and residential schools experiences. Saturday January 25, 2020from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in Steacy Hall. This is a free event, including lunch catered by Algonquin caterers Wawatay from Maniwaki. However, registration is capped at 36 participants (for ages 14 – 94).
  Pre-registration is required via: t&rallsaintswestboro.com.
  A special event from your Truth & Reconciliation Team. Please plan to join us!
• Wednesday, March 11, 2020 — ASW Reading Circle Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
• Tuesday Evenings, March 2020 — All Saints’ Westboro and First United will once again jointly offer a Lenten Program in the spring of 2020.  It will consist of viewing a film called the Doctrine of Discovery, followed by facilitated discussions in small groups.    Further information will be available in the winter.  The program will be free and open to the public.

Ongoing at All Saints’ Westboro

Healing Forest — On October 13th Grandmother Francine helped us to bless the small Healing Forest on the east lawn near the main doors to the church.  An initiative of the children of All Saints’ Westboro, the children from both Churches joined in the ceremony by adding the last stones to the pathway and by expressing their prayerful intentions with a tobacco offering.  Participants then sang together with Grandmother Francine, with beautiful sunshine streaming down among the gently falling leaves.  Patricia Stirbys was with us, representing the Healing Forest Initiative and welcoming our small site to join with other forests across the country, dedicated to reconciliation of First Nations and settler people.  This space is defined by a Grandmother/Grandfather Rock that a seating area while we mediate or pray for solace and courage as we look to reconciliation of First People communities with colonizing communities around the world.  Feel free to come and make use of this lovely site.

Resource Table — Stop by to see resources or chat with a member of the Truth & Reconciliation Team, in Steacy Hall during coffee hour following the 9:30 a.m. service on November 17th, and on December 1st.

Offered by Other Groups

Mondays 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., Rooms 5/6 — First United Book Study
They are currently reading 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act. The book is being discussed slowly until sometime before Christmas. Feel free to come and join in any Monday morning.

All Saints’ Westboro Truth and Reconciliation Team Members:  Barb Gillie, Diane Bays, Elsie Parkinson, Julie Cross, Linda Privitera, Marcie Taylor, Marg Hostetter, Sally Lees, Susan Gates, Wendy Wilker-Blakely

Local/Regional Events

Events not organized or sponsored by ASW that may be of interest.

• NAC Indigeneous Theatre – Upcoming Events and Tickets
• Canadian Museum of History – History Night at the Museum: Traditional Technologies
• Canadian Museum of History – Les journées de la culture 2019: Preserving Cultural  Memories
• CBC – ‘Being able to tell our own stories’: Molly of Denali brings Indigenous voices to the fore