Remit to Remove Structural Barriers to Developing and Sustaining an Autonomous Indigenous Church

General Council 44 Background Information

The 44th General Council met virtually between February 2022 and August 2022.

At that meeting, the General Council approved an amendment to the Basis of Union in The Manual of The United Church of Canada to establish an autonomous National Indigenous Organization. It also authorized a Category 3 Remit to test the will of the church with respect to this change.

For background information about this remit, a study guide, response forms and more, please see the General Council 44 website. Questions can be e-mailed to remits@united-church.ca.

To read the proposals click the links below:

• • • GS10 Living into Reconciliation
    • NIC01 National Indigenous Circle – Restructuring of Indigenous Church

Responding to Questions

Since launching the Category 3 remit about removing structural barriers to developing and sustaining an autonomous Indigenous Church in March 2023, the General Council Office has received a number of questions about the remit process, as well as about the remit itself.

Some of these questions have asked: What is this remit about? Where did this remit come from? Why is a remit process needed? What is the voting process? What will the new Indigenous Church look like? How will it be funded? How will this Indigenous organization be in relationship with the regional councils and wider United Church?

In this video, Adele Halliday, Anti-Racism and Equity Lead, and Sara Stratton, Reconciliation and Indigenous Justice Animator, of the General Council Office respond to these questions and others that have been raised about the current Category 3 Remit on establishing an autonomous National Indigenous Organization within The United Church of Canada. 

Other Resources

THE DOCTRINE OF DISCOVERY

• The United Church Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery
  Backgrounder and 2012 Motion to Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery (united-church.ca)

• Doctrine of Discovery: Canadian Museum for Human Rights article
  The Doctrine of Discovery | CMHR (humanrights.ca)

THE UN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES 

• The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
  https://united-church.ca/social-action/justice-initiatives/reconciliation-and-indigenous-justice/un-declaration-rights

• UN Declaration and Canada
  https://justice.gc.ca/eng/declaration/index.html

• The UN Declaration
  https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf

THE CALLS TO ACTION (TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION)

• Truth and Reconciliation Commission (including the Calls to Action)
  https://united-church.ca/social-action/justice-initiatives/reconciliation-and-indigenous-justice/truth-and-reconciliation

THE CALLS TO THE CHURCH (CARETAKERS OF OUR INDIGENOUS CIRCLE, UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA)

• The Calls to the Church
  https://united-church.ca/community-and-faith/being-community/indigenous-ministries/calls-church

THE UNITED CHURCH APOLOGIES

United Church Apologies to Indigenous Peoples

https://united-church.ca/social-action/justice-initiatives/reconciliation-and-indigenous-justice/apologies

THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON ABORIGINAL PEOPLES (RCAP)

The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) Final Report is a huge document. If you wish to take a glance, here is the link: https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/aboriginal-heritage/royal-commission-aboriginal-peoples/Pages/final-report.aspx

Nov 21, 2021 was the 25^th anniversary of the final report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples  (RCAP)

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/royal-commission-aboriginal-peoples-25-1.6243545