wfn.org | Indigenous Anglicans to gather in Hawaii, September 1999

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@wfn.org>]

by Leanne Larmondin
Website Manager

Toronto, August 26, 1999 -

Six Canadian indigenous Anglicans will leave for Lihue, Hawaii in early
September to join counterparts from New Zealand, Australia and the United
States for the fifth meeting of the Anglican Indigenous Network.
The international network brings together indigenous Anglicans from around
the world to discuss their common issues and challenges and, often,
relationships with church bodies.

"The members of the network have been present in our growth, in our
defining ourselves over the years," explains Donna Bomberry, indigenous
ministries co-ordinator with the Anglican Church of Canada's Partnerships
department.

The Canadian participants include Arctic suffragan bishop Paul Idlout and
Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples members Rev. Iola Metuq (Diocese of
the Arctic), Grace Delaney (Moosonee), Gladys Cook (Rupert's Land), Rev.
Mervin Wolfleg (Calgary) and Ms. Bomberry.

This is the second network meeting for Ms. Bomberry, who says the gathering
allows indigenous people to update each other on what is happening locally
in their ministries. The Canadians delegation, for instance, will report on
its covenant, the projects which have been funded by the healing and
reconciliation fund and its involvement with Keewatin Bishop Gordon
Beardy's Sacred Walk for Healing, which raised funds to help survivors of
abuse.

They will also share Anglican Video's production A Journey Begins with a
Dream, which documented the last Anglican Indigenous Sacred Circle (which
began its life as the Native Convocation).
The attendance of indigenous bishops is very important to the gatherings,
says Ms. Bomberry.

"Many of our people come from dioceses which don't have indigenous bishops,
so this is a new experience for them to see and hear them," she says. "I
think it's so important to have our own bishops be part of our delegation
because folks who come from New Zealand and Australia are strong in
episcopal representation. You learn so much more about the ministry when
you have that kind of leadership present."

(Canada has four indigenous bishops: suffragans Charlie Arthurson (Diocese
of Saskatchewan) Bishop Idlout and Andrew Atagotaaluk (Arctic) and Keewatin
diocesan bishop Gordon Beardy.)

The delegates, says Ms. Bomberry, will learn "so much from the experience."
In fact, the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples' covenant was inspired,
in part, by the council's involvement with the indigenous people from New
Zealand, who maintain one stream of a three-stream church.
(It was actually a non-native New Zealander, or Pakeha, who helped the
Canadians in their "visioning process" when they first began to discuss a
Canadian indigenous church, explains Ms. Bomberry, but much of the
discussion was based on the New Zealand model.)
The meetings, which take place infrequently (ideally every two years, but
"whenever we can enable them to happen", says Ms. Bomberry), have
previously been in Hawaii, New Zealand, Alaska, and most recently, in 1997,
in Lethbridge, Alta.
The networking, says Ms. Bomberry, helps participants in their growth.
"That's what our reconciliation work has been about: helping others become
aware, educated about our identity in the Anglican Communion," she says.
"That's what self determination is about. It's not a structural thing --
yet."

Links:

Anglican Council of Indigenous People
http://www.anglican.ca/acip/

Text of the covenant, drafted by the Anglican Council of Indigenous People
in Winnipeg, 1994.
http://www.anglican.ca/acip/covenant.html

"Sacred walk wraps up at Ottawa reception" -- Anglican Journal news story,
Nov. 1998
http://www.anglicanjournal.com/124/09/canada02.html

Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa (Anglican Church in Aotearoa)
http://newzealand.anglican.org/hui.htm

Episcopal Diocese of Alaska
http://home.gci.net/~episcopalak/>http://home.gci.net/~episcopalak/

(For more information, contact Donna Bomberry,
  Anglican Church of Canada,
(416) 924 9199 ext. 626
  dbomberry@national.anglican.ca)
*****************************************************
Leanne Larmondin * Website Manager
*Anglican Church of Canada*
600 Jarvis St., Toronto ON M4Y 2J6
416 924 9199 ext. 307 * ll@anglican.ca
http://www.anglican.ca