This page provides links to resources, both in the library's physical collection and online, that are primarily created for the Church. This includes books, articles, and web links exploring topics such as Indigenous theology, ministry, and Church relations.
"I want to talk about how Christianity came into my family. I’m from Sachigo Lake First Nation and originally, we had someone come to our First Nation and just share Christianity with us. The name has been passed down as ᒥᔥᑕᑾᓀᐟ (Mishtagwanet) but being that we know that it was an Anglican missionary we think that the name is probably something closer to Mr. Garnett. That is how my great grandfather came to know Christ and that was passed onto my grandfather, my father, and now to our generation.
The difference in this situation is, there was an invitation, there was a relationship and there was an understanding that we are equal in the eyes of God. The motivation was love and just a desire to share Christ. So, if we back up though, and we look at trying to answer the question to what does the relationship between Christianity and indigenous peoples look like? And I think that a lot of times we start with residential schools, but that wasn't really the start of the problem because it wasn't the start of the relationship" (Thunder, as cited in Lee, 2021, para. 1-2).
Jimmy Thunder is the founder of Reconciliation Thunder, a nonprofit focused on helping leaders respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. He is also a board member for Circles of Reconciliation, and has taught at Horizon College and Seminary as well as at the University of Manitoba. Hear more from him in the interview/podcast linked below, as well as in the video that follows, Dear Younger Me.
This is the first video in a series produced by Reconciliation Thunder. In the video's caption, Jimmy Thunder describes it as follows: "a spoken word poem written to my younger self about the things I've learned about colonization in Canada. I'm hoping my transparency inspires other Canadians to see the urgent need to decolonize our thinking and pursue reconciliation."
"The historical record of missions among the tribes of North America is a saga marked by enormous potential, great failures, and profound sadness. With a few notable exceptions. . .those engaged in eighteenth century mission work disdained Native American culture and barred it from churches. Early missionaries failed to recognize and embrace the intrinsic God-given value of people to whom they were sent -- a blindness that has prevailed in the American church to this day" (Twiss, 2000, p. 26). With this, Bear-Barnetson (2013) writes that "because the past 500 years of evangelism has caused such trauma, Christians have a lot of work to do to make things right" (p. 64).
Richard Twiss, was a member of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate from the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. He was an author, speaker, educator, activist and pastor. He founded Wiconi International, was a co-founder of NAIITS, and worked as national director of Native ministries for the International Bible Society.
Cheryl Bear-Barnetson is Nadleh Whut'en from the Carrier Nation, located in Northern British Columbia. She is a musician, singer, pastor, evangelist, conference speaker, and associate professor at Regent College in Vancouver, B.C. Her book, Introduction to First Nations Ministry, is a study addressing the "drastic need for a measurable increase in awareness of First Nations ministry, worldview, and values" (Bear-Barnetson, 2013, p. 1).
Bear-Barnetson, C. (2013). Introduction to First Nations ministry: Centre for Pentecostoal theology Native North American contextual movement series. Cherohala Press.
Lee, M. (2021). Why some Indigenous Christians still have hope in the church. Christianity Today. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/quick-to-listen/residential-schools-christians-first-nation-podcast.html
Twiss, R. (2000). One church, many tribes: Following Jesus the way God made you. Chosen.