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jimkenney12

jimkenney12

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Rev. Blair, as Executive Secretary, dissolved the Indigenous Council because he saw it as non functional due to a conflict which had halted all decision making. Indigenous people see his action as typical of colonialism and want it reversed. It is complicated.
 
jimkenney12 said:
Rev. Blair, as Executive Secretary, dissolved the Indigenous Council because he saw it as non functional due to a conflict which had halted all decision making. Indigenous people see his action as typical of colonialism and want it reversed. It is complicated.
Click to expand...
The Indigenous Council... of the UCCanada? Or...?
 
It is covered by Broadview magazine. here is the more recent article.
[td][FONT=playfair display, georgia, times new roman, serif]Why are you doing this?’
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[td]By Emma Prestwich

Hello, Focus readers,

The controversy involving the United Church’s National Indigenous Council continues.

At a special meeting Nov. 8, the General Council Executive opted to uphold General Secretary Rev. Michael Blair’s decision to dissolve the NIC. The GCE also affirmed his call for a National Indigenous Spiritual Gathering (NISG), a meeting that starts Friday in Winnipeg, to set a future direction.

As we reported earlier this month, some members of the NIC are angry about Blair’s decision, seeing it as a violation of the Indigenous church’s autonomy. The GCE’s subsequent vote not to contest the move, along with its characterization of the NIC as “experiencing dysfunction” also doesn’t sit well with everyone.

Blair questions what an autonomous Indigenous church might look like — the remit to clear the path for the community to determine its future passed earlier this year, but Blair says that the NISG still hasn’t had a conversation about the Indigenous church’s relationship to the broader denomination.

You can read more from Julie Carl’s story here.

Indigenous Elders declined Broadview’s request to attend the NISG, which is scheduled to run from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2. But we will bring you updates afterwards.
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Here is the original article.

Indigenous United Church Elders protest decision to dissolve National Indigenous Council​

General Secretary Rev. Michael Blair's decision came over concerns that the body wasn't working

By Julie Carl | November 5, 2024

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A recent decision to dissolve the National Indigenous Council over concerns it wasn’t working has drawn fire from Elders in the Indigenous United church and calls for a review of the denomination’s administration and reversal of General Secretary Rev. Michael Blair’s action.

“We are spiritual people who walk in a spiritual way with our people and have our ways to deal with things,” Evelyn Day, an Elder and an Indigenous General Council commissioner, told The United Church of Canada’s General Council at its annual meeting Oct. 19. “This has spiritually harmed us. You need to be accountable for that.”

Day and at least two other Elders who spoke at the meeting were protesting Blair’s move in mid-August to dissolve the current NIC against their wishes as well as his plans to hold a National Indigenous Spiritual Gathering (NISG) later this month so that the group can elect a new NIC. The NISG is a meeting of all Indigenous communities of faith that usually happens every three years and serves as the top authority in the Indigenous church. The NIC is an elected governing body in the Indigenous church that meets regularly between NISGs to make decisions.

Six Indigenous commissioners — Day, Elder Eileen Antone, Rev. Teresa Burnett-Cole, Russel Burns, Elder Donna Kennedy and Elder Janet Root — had submitted a proposal to the General Council meeting, calling for Blair’s decision to be reversed and the church’s administration reviewed but — over the Elders’ objections — the General Council voted to pass the matter to the General Council Executive (GCE), which next meets from Nov. 22 to 23.

Moderator Rt. Rev. Carmen Lansdowne spoke in support of sending the proposal to the GCE. “There are things happening in the Indigenous church that should not be discussed in this space … Not everyone has the same information. Out of an abundance of care and respect, it is right” to have the GCE deal with the proposal, she said.

Troubles within the NIC


Problems arose at the NIC’s April meeting when the council voted to remove the existing chair, due to perceived incompetence, and elect new co-chairs. The chair objected and filed a complaint with Blair, who upheld the NIC’s decision. In July, some NIC members — unhappy with the chair’s removal — appealed to the church’s judicial committee, which also upheld the NIC’s decision. In the midst of this, one of the new co-chairs resigned in May and the other in August. Both later requested to be reinstated. Later still, one was reinstated.

Members of the NIC told Broadview they wished to hold a healing circle to contend with the problems in the NIC and move forward. They said they were working with national office staff member Lori Ransom, acting executive minister of Indigenous ministries and justice, to set a date for the circle. The members said three dates were proposed in July and September where eight members could attend, which would have made a quorum. (At the Oct. 19 General Council meeting, Moderator Rt. Rev. Carmen Lansdowne said it had not been possible to have a quorum.)
 
I have some sympathy with General Council given there were issues but the healing circle seems to me to be the way they should have gone. Blair acting in this way comes across as settler colonialism at its worst, basically telling indigenous people how to run their affairs. This is very much a Western, European culture process-focussed solution that is unlikely to work in the indigenous context.
 
I can’t see Blair making a hasty decision. He would surely be fully aware of what this looks like to others. There must be compelling reasons, some that we are not aware of even. However, if they have positive ways to move forward, including the healing circle, I think they should be given a chance. I also think GC needs to be upfront about what they see as problematic…within dialogue.
 
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