Truth and Reconciliation: Home

"Conciliation does not happen without truth telling. Conciliation without truth is trying to bring health without a comprehensive diagnosis. Truth telling requires the deeper examination of the existing narratives and unearthing the dysfunction surrounding those narratives. The broken system and the dysfunctional theological imagination that the broken system emerges from must be exposed. Once that broken system is uncovered, an authentic lament rooted in truth can commence. Lament, therefore emerges from the confrontational nature of truth and our honest response to that truth. Truth telling will liberate the church to write a more biblical narrative that will integrate the lost practice of lament, the power of shared journey, and the building of common memory." (Charles & Rah, 2019, p. 11).

In his book The Truth About Stories : A Native Narrative, Thomas King (2003) notes the following consistently throughout: "But don't say in the years to come that you would have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story. You've heard it now" (p. 29). Author Tanya Talaga (2018) cites this same quote by King at the end of her book All our Relations: Finding the Path forward, a work exploring the affects of colonialism on Indigenous Peoples and communities in Canada and beyond. The Meeting Place (n.d.), a church in Manitoba, puts it this way regarding its compilation of resources on Indigenous reconciliation: "God, we pray that this knowledge would guide our words, our hearts and our actions" (para. 2).

The creator of this guide is non-Indigenous and of settler heritage. Although she sought to create this guide thoughtfully and with reliable resources, favoring Indigenous and racialized voices, she recognizes that there may be mistakes or elements that need adjustment. She welcomes feedback from Indigenous community members, and will work to implement changes accordingly. Please email Kristen Williams with questions or concerns.