(xxviii) Committee on Native Canadians
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/official8630
- Date
- 1966 August 16-19
- Source
- House of Bishops Minutes
- Type
- Resolution
- Mover
- Bishop of Quebec
- Seconder
- Bishop of Keewatin
- Prologue
- The Bishop of Quebec reported on behalf of the Committee as follows:
- HOUSE OF BISHOPS COMMITTEE ON NATIVE CANADIANS
- Action taken by the committee
- 1. At the suggestion of the Primate the name of the Committee was changed to "The House of Bishops Committee on Native Canadians."
- 2. The Rev. J.G. Kohner, on behalf of the Planning Board of the Diocese of Montreal proposed that liaison be set up between this Committee and the Montreal Planning Board, with a view to the exchange of information and the possible setting up of a facility in Montreal for the referral of Indians and Eskimos to suitable boarding homes when they visit Montreal and other larger centres for education, hospitalization and employment.
- It was agreed that this proposal could be worked out by cooperative action on the part of the Bishops concerned and the Montreal Diocesan Planning Board.
- 3. The members of the Committee were kept informed of the proposal of the M.S.C.C. Executive Committee to seek a meeting with those Bishops who have Residential Schools and Hostels for Indians and Eskimos in their Dioceses. This meeting has now been arranged at Aurora on November 10 and 11, 1966.
- 4. The Secretary was asked to make enquiries of the Bishops of those Dioceses which have Catechists' and/or Lay Readers' Schools regarding dates, locations, cost and method of financing, ages, etc.
- 5. Some time was spent in consideration of the answers to the Questionnaire which had been been sent to all Diocesan Bishops.
- Out of these discussions there were questions raised as to whether this Committee should recommend a policy for the Church with respect to encouraging the Indian and Eskimo peoples to regain facility in the use of their native languages as a means of preserving their culture and recapturing their pride of race, along with a facility in the use of English for communicating with non-Indians.
- 6. There was considerable discussion of the need to establish the responsibility of Government and the Churches in relation to Indians who move from reservations to urban centres and thereby lose their treaty rights.
- There was concern expressed also for the large number of Indians who have no reserves or treaties. These Indians are sometimes forced off the lands which they have occupied for generations through the development of roads, mines, oil wells, power developments, etc. What kind of compensation should they be entitled to ?
- The opinion was expressed that Government ought to have a continuing responsibility to provide for those Indians who leave the Reserves and go to urban centres, the same services they would be entitled to on the Reserve, including housing assistance, education, health ad welfare services.
- The members of the Committee stated again that there is a great need for the recruitment of well qualified and experienced Anglican teachers with a positive sense of Christian vocation to teach in Indian and frontier schools.
- Concern was also expressed regarding the poor publicity being broadcast through communications media, which is often out of date and mis-informed about the present policies and programmes of the Churches and various levels of Government. The hope was expressed that more may be done by the Church's communications media to give more adequate and up-to-date information.
- Text of motion
- "That the Report on Native Canadians be received."
- Subjects
- Anglican Church of Canada. House of Bishops. Committee on Native Canadians
- Anglican Church of Canada. Diocese of Montreal
- Indigenous peoples - Canada
- Indigenous peoples - Canada - Anglican Church of Canada
- Indigenous peoples - Canada - Government relations - 1951-
- Indigenous peoples - Canada - Languages
- Indigenous peoples - Canada - Residential schools
- Indigenous peoples - Canada - Urban residence
- Inuit - Canada - Anglican Church of Canada
- Inuit - Canada - Government relations - 1951-
- Indigenous peoples - Canada - Residential schools - Anglican Church of Canada