Truth, Healing and Reconcili-action Journey at Grace

On May 26, 2021, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation released a statement that the buried remains of 215 children were detected on the ground of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, near Kamloops, British Columbia. The statement brought residential schools, and their legacy, to the forefront of Canadian society in a way that former truth, healing and reconciliation work had not. Subsequent findings across Canada followed and continue.

Overnight, residential schools shifted from being an Indigenous issue to being an issue for Canadians and those that ran them, including the

Government of Canada, the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church and the Presbyterian governments, institutions, and churches.

The issue of Residential Schools came to 10 Calgary churches, including Grace, on July 1, 2021. Early in the morning, two sets of the front doors at Grace were splattered with red paint as an act of protest and expression of grief regarding the discovery of many unmarked graves at

the sites of former residential schools in several locations across Canada.

Grace chose not to remove the red paint, and to engage in conversations on the steps in July 2021 with support from Indigenous Elders. (Read more here).

The red paint has elicited many responses and reactions, generated many conversations within Grace and in the community, and it has led Grace on our own path to truth, healing, and reconciliation.

In the spirit of sharing Truth, seeking Healing and further living into Reconcili-action, as people of faith, we believe that these histories are evil on the part of the government and churches. We believe that the heart of God is greatly touched and is grieving these atrocities.

Some deeply believe that at Grace Presbyterian Church, we need to continue our collective and individual learning journeys. Grace has held several events and initiatives, from a Lament Ceremony in September 2021 leading up to Orange Shirt Day and a KAIROS Blanket Exercise that fosters understanding of the shared history between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada, to a book study led by Rev. John Snow Jr. and Tony Snow about the story of the Stoney people and mountains in Alberta and a lecture on the Doctrine of Discovery detailing how the doctrine was used to legitimize the claiming of lands outside of Europe.

There is also a need for a more permanent marker of our journey as we seek to follow God’s direction in our lives – the form of this marker is a mural on the front doors of the church utilizing the splashed paint.

On November 21, 2021, Session decided to form a Mural Project Team to engage and collaborate with an Indigenous artist to create the mural.

Transforming the red paint on the doors into a mural in collaboration with an Indigenous artist sharing the transformative power of prayer was considered.

In July, and in late August 2022, Grace’s Session met about this project and the decision was made by Session to not go ahead with murals on the doors at this time. On August 29, at approximately 2:00 a.m., unknown persons painted over the red paint with tan paint on the doors (not on the stained glass or sandstone.)

Sunday, September 25, 2022 Ceremony

A Sunday, September 25 ceremony to repaint the doors tan is taking place. Indigenous Elders have been invited and more details will be shared on the events page. Grace is also co-hosting a Friday, September 30 event with Stardale Women’s Group called Reconnection, Reconciliation and Resilience – an event in honour of Orange Shirt Day. 

uring and after worship on February 26, 2023, a painting by Nathan Meguinis about prayer and truth, healing and reconciliation was introduced at Grace.

Nathan, (also known as Buffalo Boy, Travelling Rock, and Kind-Hearted Man), is an artist from the Tsuut’ina Nation. He was chosen to transform the red paint that was splattered on Grace’s front doors into murals. After much prayer, discussion and the painting over of the red paint, Session decided that Nathan would instead be asked to produce a stand alone painting symbolizing truth, healing and reconciliation. The painting was shared along with this video by the artist describing the symbolism.

An important component that is incorporated is that of prayer – especially timely as we approach the World Day of Prayer on March 3. All of the congregation were invited to enjoy bannock and Saskatoon berry cider, traditional foods of Indigenous peoples, fellowship after worship, and to view the video and painting more closely.

Artist’s Statement on the painting “Living in Balance” from the artist Nathan Meguinis (Buffalo Boy, Travelling Rock, Kindhearted Man)

We Dene live a life of beautiful balance with the world around and with other Indigenous Nations.

• The colour red represents Mother Earth. All the abstract human figures are red to show our connection to the earth with each one having a white outline which is our spirit.

• The prayer prints are hanging in the tree represent our prayers and these flags are hanging from a poplar tree which represents life. Each colour has a meaning: Red – Mother Earth; Green – Plant Life; Blue – Air and Water; Yellow – Sun and Protection; and White – Soul and Spirit.

• The buffalo represents caring for family and all indigenous Nations who have been resilient and rebounded from being driven from known ways of life. • The symbol above the poplar tree represents the North Star. The North Star is the guiding star and as people we are called to be North Stars guiding others into living in balance. • The braided sweetgrass circle represents lasting unity.

• The background colours are in a blanket pattern. The orange represents Truth and Reconciliation, and the blue represents water and air which needed to be protected and not polluted.

• The thirteen feathers represent the thirteen moon cycles in the year, which is the calendar the Tsuut’ina people follow. We live in balance when we are working to care for one another and for the earth all the days of the year. My artwork is showing people of the earth coming together in prayer and peace.