Reconciliation Proclamation and Principles and Priorities: Sacred Assembly 1995

Between December 6-9, 1995, more than 2,000 people from many spiritual traditions participated in the Sacred Assembly in an effort to pursue justice and healing between Canada and First Nations. The following Reconciliation Proclamation and Principles and Priorities documents were crafted and adopted by Treaty elders and knowledge keepers, members of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and the Aboriginal Rights Coalition, representatives of Indian and Northern Affairs, and more.

Mennonites were well represented; Menno Wiebe (MCC) was an integral part of the planning committee, and CMC’s Native Ministries was present via Norman Meade (Métis), Thelma Meade (Anishinabe), and director Walter Franz.

The Proclamation and the Statement of Principles and Priorities which accompanied it was— and is—a remarkable covenant that commits faith communities to walk with Indigenous peoples in a joint effort toward spiritual and political healing. Significantly, the Proclamation might have been the first time that evangelical and mainline church leaders stood together and promised to take real action for Indigenous justice.