Honouring the Truth Reconciling for the Future

The challenge of reconciliation • 289and ancient Hesquiaht village site to learn the Hesquiah language through theart of canoe making. 99The Four Season Cultural Camps of the Serpent River First Nation in Ontario,funded by the Anglican Church, used traditional practices of harvesting, foodstorage, storytelling, and related ceremonies to promote language and culture.100 The Anglicans also supported a wilderness retreat for young people atthe Nibinamik First Nation at Summer Beaver, Ontario. It taught traditional lifeways, while instilling a sense of self-confidence in the youth as they successfullycompleted the activities in the camp. 1013) Education and relationship building. The Anglican and Roman Catholicchurches still have relatively large numbers of Aboriginal members, so many oftheir initiatives focused on bringing their own Aboriginal and non-Aboriginalmembers together. The Anglican Church has worked to help build understandingand counter stereotypes among its members through anti-racism training.The Roman Catholic entities were among the core funders of the Returningto Spirit: Residential School Healing and Reconciliation Program. The programbrings Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participants together to gain newinsights into the residential school experience and develop new communicationand relationship-building skills. 102The Settlement Agreement churches bear a special responsibility to continue tosupport the long-term healing needs of Survivors, their families, and communitieswho are still struggling with a range of health, social, and economic impacts. The closureof the national Aboriginal Healing Foundation in 2014 when government fundingended has left a significant gap in funding for community-based healing projects, atthe very time that healing for many individuals and communities is still just beginning.103 The churches must also continue to educate their own congregations andfacilitate dialogue between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples. Much has beenaccomplished through the healing and reconciliation projects of the SettlementAgreement churches, but more remains to be done.Call to Action61) We call upon church parties to the Settlement Agreement, in collaboration withSurvivors and representatives of Aboriginal organizations, to establish permanentfunding to Aboriginal people for:i. Community-controlled healing and reconciliation projects.ii. Community-controlled culture- and language-revitalization projects.iii. Community-controlled education and relationship-building projects.