Finding My Place in Reconciliation

Ever since starting to study at Redeemer, I’ve become more familiar with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and Canada’s history in the treatment of Indigenous people. Thanks to classes with William Postma and Naaman Wood, I’ve wanted to join the effort of reconciliation with Indigenous communities, but I didn’t really know what the process of reconciliation looked like practically. Maybe you’ve felt the same way.

I didn’t really know what the process of reconciliation looked like practically.

This semester, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to study abroad in Jordan. One of the most impactful experiences of the semester for me has been learning about the conflict in Israel/Palestine and having the opportunity to visit the Holy Land. We were able to listen to a wide variety of speakers, but there was one speaker whose talk stood out to me. He talked about the stages of reconciliation, and I’d like to share what I’ve learned.

First, he spoke about a topic that I haven’t heard people address before: the many obstacles to reconciliation. Consider the physical obstacles: how can reconciliation happen when people are divided by walls, checkpoints, different socioeconomic situations, and the threat of (or perceived threat of) violence? Or consider power dynamics. In situations like Israel/Palestine and the settler/Indigenous divide in Canada, the imbalance of power must be addressed, and the side holding power is unlikely to let it go without a struggle. And then there are the emotional and psychological obstacles.

How can reconciliation happen when people are divided by walls, checkpoints, different socioeconomic situations, and the threat of (or perceived threat of) violence?

Reconciliation is a process that takes time and dedication. The stages are challenging and can be painful, but if we do not try to reconcile, then our enemy becomes our only point of reference, and we become like them. Our future is bound up together. We cannot escape some sort of relationship with them, whether it be damaged and broken, or flourishing. This is true in Israel/Palestine, and it’s true in Canada.

The speaker also walked us through the stages of reconciliation, and I started to see where I might fit in.

Stage 1: Beginning relationships, meeting on neutral ground, and engaging in non-threatening activities.

Stage 2: Airing grievances. It involves trust-building, being surprised, vulnerable, antagonized, overwhelmed and allowing your identity to bechallenged.

Stage 3: Withdrawal and countering withdrawal. Relationships may fade and there may be a feeling of a lack of understanding, because of the tension of stage 2. But we need to push through this stage: it needs to be countered with meeting on an equal playing field, sharing common goals, not competing with each other, and being supported by authority figures.

Stage 4: Reclaiming identity. This involves taking time for self-reflection and affirmation. It means making the internal decision to move forward or out. There needs to be trauma training in order for both parties to seek forgiveness and healing, and the transformation of identity.

We can’t be fully reconciled if the conflict has not stopped.

We can’t be fully reconciled if the conflict has not stopped. Canada, have we stopped committing injustices against Indigenous peoples? We have work to do. It starts with realizing the humanity of the ones we have labelled as “other”, who historically, we thought of as less than human. Through this justification, people who looked like me thought it was okay to put Indigenous peoples into residential schools and force them to become more like us. Injustices against Indigenous communities continue today, such as water advisories, lack of access to quality education, et cetera.

So how do we reconcile? It starts with meeting “the other”, or Indigenous neighbours all throughout Canada, beginning relationships and hearing their stories. We need to listen and learn our shared history. Becoming proximate to problems and issues in our community reveals our previous complacency and apathy, and can move us towards empathy and understanding. We should sit with the pain of our brothers and sisters and lament at the brokenness.

Am I going to let my privilege get in the way of seeking out new relationships?

For me, my first steps are learning more about the history of Indigenous peoples in London, the city I am from. When I get back from my semester, I plan on visiting the Indigenous learning centre in London, and try to become more engaged with the community, and find community events to go to. There is so much I don’t know. It’s time that I acknowledge my lack of understanding and work to change it. For me, it comes down to, “Am I going to let my privilege (my ability to say no to things because they're hard, awkward, or inconvenient) get in the way of seeking out new relationships?” It’s an opportunity for me to see Christ in people who are unlike me.

We are called to “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.” (Micah 6:8) Settler people like me can live out this call by seeking to understand our Indigenous neighbours for who they are in Christ, and resisting the urge to make them into our own image—as we have done far too often in the past.