Welcome to the next event in Grace’s Truth, Healing and Reconcili-action journey.

In 2019 the Presbyterian Church in Canada voted to repudiate concepts used to justify European sovereignty over indigenous lands and peoples. Two of those related concepts are the doctrine of discovery and terra nullius. What do they mean? And how do they still impact our relationship with the Indigenous community? The seminar will provide participants the opportunity to learn about these concepts and reflect on what it means to repudiate them.

The event is led by Rev. Mark Tremblay. The attending Indigenous Elder who is conducting the Smudge is Rev. John Snow Jr.

Bio Rev. Mark Tremblay

Rev. Mark Tremblay is the minister at Knox Presbyterian Church and serves as the Interim Moderator at Grace Church. He first heard about the doctrine of discovery at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in 2014. In 2017 he went on the Truth and Reconciliation tour offered by the Presbyterian Church of Canada. Standing on the site of the Cecelia Jeffrey School he felt a great burden and disturbance in his spirit. How did the Church get here? Determined to know what must change or be removed from our theology, he began researching the doctrine of discovery. Changes in belief and action can occur when one is clear about the harmful effects of what one is doing! Repudiation is institutional but it is also personal.

Register through the form below. A zoom link will be emailed to you a few days before the event – and the day of the lecture.