Indigenous Justice Ministries Coordinator for the Diocese of New Westminster, Brander Raven McDonald with encouragement and collaboration from Bishop Skelton is pleased to announce the second D of NW Indigenous Justice Circle which will take place on May 25, 2016, at the Synod Offices at 1410 Nanton Avenue from 10.30am until 3.30pm.
The aim of this session will be a facilitated process to explore First Nations cultural values, beliefs and worldview from an “insider’s” point of view. As Brander explains:
"The purpose is to dispel the misconceptions, negative stereotypes, myths about our cultural values and ways in which we see the world and to how we walk in it. Unless one firstly learns these principles of living, and the First Nations philosophy of life one may never have a meaningful understanding conversation with Indigenous peoples. It will always be from your own context and framework. It will always be a question of culture assimilation and even appropriation. So in order to alleviate this cultural ethnocentric viewpoint I have set up a training to help you examine:
- your own worldview values,
- an understanding of First Nations worldview values and then ask how this dialogue can happen in real life.
It will also assist you in better framing your dialogue with Indigenous people because it will give you a strong point of reference. You will be forced to examine various paradigms that make up the native worldview and set them in comparison to your own and to the world around you in context of church, society and even theology.
The result will give you at least an understanding of our native peoples “global” ways and values that will better help you to dialogue and frame conversations appropriately, alleviate stereotypes and possible racist presuppositions about native peoples and finally to allow you to do the good work of relational bridge building and healing work of reconciliation with our people. In essence being able to better share your Jesus Walk with our native peoples without all the baggage of an ethno-centric perspective.
This training will also help you walk out your understanding of who you are in the world based on these paradigms and give you necessary tools to dialogue cross culturally in a larger pluralistic world.
The day will provide you with the framework and tools necessary for cross-cultural dialogue and relationship building to First Nations communities and peoples, and help you to understand the necessity of, and meanings within indigenous protocols.
Finally, it will give you better Indigenous Justice Advocacy cross cultural skills and understandings."
Registration for the Circle has now closed.
If you would like more information, email Brander at bmcdonald@vancouver.anglican.ca