Youth at All Saints, Huntsville Prepare for National Indigenous Peoples Day
As National Indigenous Peoples Day approaches on June 21, the youth of All Saints Anglican Church, Huntsville, gathered with parishioners Peter Kear and James Hunt to learn about reconciliation and prepare an educational display for their parish community.
The project focused on the history of residential schools and the role of the Anglican Church, while encouraging participants to think about practical ways to move from awareness to action through what the group called “ReconciliACTION.”
According to James Hunt, the idea was inspired by a similar display he encountered at the Lay Readers’ Conference in Parry Sound last year.
“I wanted to see something similar at All Saints,” he said. “At All Saints we view ourselves as an ‘incubator’ parish for new leaders, and we are particularly convinced that young people are not the leaders of tomorrow, but rather the leaders of today.”
For Hunt, the project presented an opportunity for young people to take a leadership role within the congregation.
“In this project we saw a fantastic opportunity for our youth to lead the congregation in the field of justice and reconciliation. When presented with the idea our youth loved it and were fully onboard.”
During their discussions, the youth were especially engaged by learning about the history of the residential school system and the Anglican Church’s involvement in it. They also embraced the challenge of helping to educate others, a commitment reflected throughout the display they created.
The group hopes the display will encourage parishioners to reflect on reconciliation and recognize the important role young people can play in leading conversations about justice within the Church.
“We hope that parishioners are inspired by the leadership of our youth,” Hunt said. “We hope that newcomers see that our church takes justice issues seriously.”
One of the surprises for participants was discovering the extent of the Anglican Church of Canada’s ongoing work toward reconciliation.
“I know that our youth were surprised to learn about the amount of work the Anglican Church of Canada has done in its pursuit of reconciliation,” Hunt noted.
The educational display will be shared with the congregation at All Saints on Sunday, June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day.