wfn.org | First Nations' Peoples To Play Significant Role during LWF Assembly

["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

First Nations' Peoples To Play Significant Role during LWF Tenth
Assembly in Canada
LWF General Secretary Urges Closer Collaboration on Common
Concerns

MANITOBA, Canada/GENEVA, 24 March 2003 (LWI) - Canada's National
Chief of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Matthew Coon Come,
and the leader of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Grand Chief
Dennis White Bird, have welcomed an invitation of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF) General Secretary, Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, to
make an active contribution to the forthcoming LWF Tenth Assembly.

The Assembly theme, "For the Healing of the World," relates very
well to the context of Indigenous peoples in Canada, said Bird in
a meeting with Noko on March 21. "We have the same human features,
so why aren't we the same?" he asked. Bird was referring to recent
discussions with the Canadian government on issues related to
self-determination and the right of Aboriginal peoples to realize
their aspirations as peoples and nations, and to be distinct in
terms of language, traditions and spirituality, as well as being
the architects of their own future.

The general secretary invited First Nations' representatives to
send a liaison person to Geneva, where the LWF is based, to work
closely with the United Nations and LWF on Indigenous issues. Noko
said the Federation would provide the necessary office space and
infrastructure to facilitate such collaboration.

Noko also attended the National Church Council meeting of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) in Winnipeg. He
congratulated the ELCIC - as the host of the LWF Tenth Assembly,
on its impressive effort to involve volunteers. A significant
number of people have signed up so far to serve as volunteers
before and during the 21-31 July 2003 Assembly, to be held in
Winnipeg. The  Assembly is the LWF's highest decision-making body.
It meets normally every six years.

Noko's March 18-22 visit in Canada started in the capital Ottawa,
where he met with AFN Chief Coon Come as well as with Canadian
government officials, AFN representatives, and church leaders on
March 19. He was accompanied by the ELCIC National Bishop, Raymond
Schultz.

The AFN is the national organization representing First Nations
citizens in Canada. The ELCIC has 188,654 members. It joined the
LWF in 1986.

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7
million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human
rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and
development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is LWF's information service.
Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent
positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where
the dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the
material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

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