Truth and Reconciliation Working Group

Within the broader calling to “love our neighbours,” the Truth and Reconciliation Working Group of Erb Street Mennonite Church has a two-fold purpose: 

• To initiate actions—within the congregation and in the wider community—that advocate for and support the implementation of the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report (June 2015). 

• To share information with the congregation about the historical injustices and the ongoing calls for justice made by Indigenous Peoples in Canada — and locally the Haudenosaunee, Chonnonton, and Anishinaabeg Peoples, who were promised the land extending ten kilometers (six miles) on each side of the Grand River, land on which the church is located and many congregants reside. 

Options for Financial Support 

If you feel led to respond through a financial contribution, you may wish to consider supporting one of the following organizations: 
 

• Mennonite Central Committee Ontario – Indigenous Neighbours Program — Which works to build respectful, collaborative relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. https://donate.mcccanada.ca/cause/ontario-indigenous-neighbours 

• Woodland Cultural Centre (Brantford, Ontario) — Dedicated to preserving, promoting, and strengthening Indigenous languages, cultures, arts, and histories. https://woodlandculturalcentre.ca/ 

• Mennonite Church Canada – Indigenous Relations — Supporting Mennonite communities in growing their awareness of host peoples, understanding the ongoing realities of settler colonialism, and nurturing justice-based relationships.  
  https://www.mennonitechurch.ca/indigenous