Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its final report in June 2015, after more than five years of research. The results may seem daunting – a more than 500-page executive summary, nearly two thousand pages of history, ninety-four calls to action – but they will have a significant impact on the lives of Canadians in years to come, especially for those of us within the Anglican church.
The Anglican Church of Canada is, indeed, inextricably bound up in Aboriginal issues thanks to their participation in the residential school system, one of the primary focuses of the commission. Though then-Primate Michael Peers delivered an official apology in 1993, this was only the first step of many in responding to and recovering from this difficult history. As an institution, and as one of the parties to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, we have formally recognized the TRC and committed ourselves to implementing its recommendations, such as adjusting our teaching ministries to better reflect Aboriginal history, culture, and modern concerns.
At St. Albans, we are committed to doing our part in this wider Anglican movement. We have hosted events on topics such as Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women and Reconciliation. We hope you will join us as we continue down this road together and we invite you to have a look at these resources compiled by the Indigenous Ministries of the Anglican Church of Canada.