Indigenous Peoples and Care for Creation

Yesterday was International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. According to the United Nations website:

There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, living across 90 countries. They make up less than 5 per cent of the world's population, but account for 15 per cent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.

Indigenous peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment. They have retained social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Despite their cultural differences, indigenous peoples from around the world share common problems related to the protection of their rights as distinct peoples.

It seems important to me that we are all aware of this, and I would add that we must become more aware of Indigenous spirituality, particularly those aspects which honour and steward the Earth. We are awakening to the grim truth that the Imperialist destruction of Indigenous cultures has not only deeply affected generations of those who lived on the land before Europeans arrived, our literal and figurative poisonous ways has meant the desecration of the environment which is necessary to sustain us. Often Indigenous practices were associated with paganism rather than received as wisdom which respected both Creator and Creation.



Flag designed by Kwakwaka'wakw artist Curtis Wilson.

When Moderator Bob Smith apologized to Native Peoples on behalf of the United Church of Canada in 1986 he began by saying: 

Long before my people journeyed to this land your people were here, and you received from your Elders an understanding of creation and of the Mystery that surrounds us all that was deep, and rich, and to be treasured. We did not hear you when you shared your vision. 

In our zeal to tell you of the good news of Jesus Christ we were closed to the value of your spirituality. We confused Western ways and culture with the depth and breadth and length and height of the gospel of Christ. We imposed our civilization as a condition of accepting the gospel.

Here in Canada we should welcome land settlements which include co-management of unceded lands and encourage recruiting Indigenous people to work in patrolling and protecting the North. In Ontario there is an agreement in principle for that sort of co-management with the Algonquins which includes a huge area, including Algonquin Park. 

 As Christians we can accept that humility is a virtue and learn from those who have always understood the wealth of the planet as far more than what could be extracted for the benefit of a few.