wfn.org | ACNS3395 The Meeting of the 8th Anglican Indigenous Network

["Anglican Communion News Service" <acnslist@anglicancommunion.org>]

ACNS 3395     |     NEW ZEALAND     |	  9 APRIL 2003

The Meeting of the 8th Anglican Indigenous Network

The 8th Anglican Indigenous Network (AIN) gathering (31 March - 5 April)
began with a traditional Maori welcome near the shores of Lake Rotorua,
Aotearoa (New Zealand). A young Maori man dressed in traditional warrior's
apparel came forward before the entering delegations with a traditional
club-spear to test the delegations' intentions of either peaceful or
warlike. By picking up the green fern leaf branch left upon the ground, the
Secretary General of AIN, Mr Malcolm Naea Chun, gave the Maori host of the
Bishopric of Aotearoa, that the delegations came in peace. A few moments
later he would reaffirm this by invoking a traditional Maori saying that the
gathering was to "sew the threads of humanity together so they could never
be broken." Even at the end of the formal welcome traditional cultural
elements were seen in the appearance of a double rainbow.
The host for this gathering, The Rt Revd Whakahuihui Vercoe, in his sermon
at Eucharist on the mooring of the first day of business, called for the
delegations to be "storytellers, value bearers, community builders and
spiritual journeyers" whose voices and work more than ever needs to heard
and seen in the Anglican Communion. He implored the delegates, "This is our
heritage and to act on this heritage is our ministry. It is a ministry of
listening, of healing, and of caring."

Further words of encouragement and greetings came from the Secretary General
of the Anglican Consultative Council, the Revd Canon John L. Peterson, who
wrote, "As you reflect on how you are able to grow into the fullness of the
purpose of your network, we, too, will be reflecting how we as a Communion
can be more effective in our support of your ministry. Together might we be
able to use our common gifts and our common spirituality 'to transform' the
life of the Christian community."

The Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Protestant Church of
United States of American, The Rt Revd Frank T Griswold, wrote, "A gift of
our Anglican Communion is that we are able to come together to share in one
another's realities and contacts, and therefore have a better understanding
of how Christ moved throughout the world." He further wrote, "I hope that
the time you spend together is fruitful, and that you find a strengthening
of faith through community. I pray that you will all grow in your awareness
of the strengths that can be found by being attentive to the movement of the
Holy Spirit in our lives. This comes with my very good wishes and blessings
for you all. Yours in Christ."

With these words of encouragement, the delegations, from the Torres Strait
Islands of Australia, the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, Native Americans of
the United States and Hawaii and Maori delegates and observers, including
five bishops from the USA and Aotearoa, heard their Secretary General set
the theme for this 2003 gathering. Mr Chun recalled that at Cairns 2001,
held right after the events of 11 September, AIN had changed its direction
from a gathering of network leaders to focus upon the issues and concerns of
its constituents, especially youth, women, elders, clergy and theological
education and training. He called upon the delegations, who represented
these groups, to use the gathering as a rare opportunity to organise
themselves, to set their goals, objectives, and implementation plans, and
above all to make their voices heard.

Before the delegations broke out into their representative groups, they
listened to a special guest, Archdeacon Taimalelagi Tuatagaloa Matalavea,
the Anglican Observer to the United Nations. She reported on the nature of
her office and work and stressed that indigenous minority issues at the
United Nations are one of her priorities. She also pointed out the tenuous
nature of the office due to the lack of funds, but also how important the
office is by letting groups like AIN know of forthcoming world gatherings
like the next meeting in late May of the Permanent Forum of Indigenous
Peoples, whose topic is children and youth.

Then for the next few days the delegations concentrated their work in their
own groups. They developed several reports and resolutions to be presented
to the whole body of AIN.

Among eight resolutions passed by AIN, the most encompassing one called for
the "creation of a non-geographic Province of the Anglican Communion for the
Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific Rim." It was noted in the deliberations
that unlike other Anglicans in the world who have sought to have their
religious expression outside being in relationship and dialogue in the
Communion, the membership of AIN continues to fulfil its mission statement
in being "committed to the Anglican tradition while affirming our
traditional spirituality. We believe that God is leading the Church to a
turning point in its history and that the full partnership of indigenous
peoples is essential. Therefore we pledge to work together to exercise our
leadership in contributing our vision and gifts to transform the life of the
Christian community."

Each of the delegations also introduced resolutions of regional concerns for
mutual support. The following resolutions were adopted and passed by the
membership:

AIN supports the concept presented by Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa for a "
Primatial Leadership Team," for the purpose of exercising collaborative
leadership among the three Senior Bishops of the Anglican Church in
Aoteoroa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

AIN as a formal body of the Anglican Consultative Council supports and
recognises Episcopal Commission on Indigenous Ministry as a formal body
representing the needs and concerns of the indigenous peoples of the United
States.

AIN supports the establishment of a Native Hawaiian Area Mission; the
establishment of an office of the co-ordinator for Native Hawaiian
indigenous ministry; supports the increase of numbers of indigenous Native
Hawaiian clergy; supports the training of our indigenous ministry aspirants
to ministry through our Native Hawaiian Study Curriculum.

AIN strongly supports the efforts for a true and meaningful Covenant between
the Anglican Indigenous people of Australia and the Church.

AIN express support for the position of the Anglican Council of Indigenous
Peoples in relation to the Settlement Agreement between the Anglican Church
of Canada and the Federal Government of Canada.

AIN express continual support for the Gwich'in Nation and for the
establishment of a permanent natural reserve and refuge from the
exploitation of natural resources.

It was also moved formally that:

AIN supports the development of the Anglican Indigenous Youth Network to
assist Anglican Indigenous Network in meeting and addressing the needs of
the youth and young adults within the Anglican Church and our home
communities.

On a more informal level the groups representing woman, elders and
indigenous theological educators will also continue to organise themselves
and to meet before the next AIN gathering in 2005. The women and elders have
indicated their interim gatherings to be in 2004 to be held in Hawaii. They
also, following the call of the AIN Secretary General, found the need for
dialogue between groups and this was initiated by the elders and youth with
designated leaders.

In this dialogue they began to explore the need for better interaction among
the generations especially as means for church and community growth, with
the youth calling to their elders to get more involved.

Continuing the rotation of hosting AIN gatherings, the next gathering will
be held in the United States of American in early Spring of 2005 and with
the venue either in Southern California or Oklahoma.

As the 8th gathering of AIN began in traditional protocol so it ended with
gift giving among the delegations and host.

__________________________________
For details about the Enthronement of the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury,
the Most Revd Rowan D Williams, visit http://www.anglicancommunion.org/

ACNSlist, the email edition of Anglican Communion News Service, is
published by the Anglican Communion Office, London. QUESTIONS or COMMENTS
may be sent to: acnslist@anglicancommunion.org

You may subscribe to acnslist or unsubscribe at:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/acnslist.html