Going out to the land

“By meeting and engaging with Indigenous peoples, by walking Indigenous lands, and by engaging in education events off site, we are reminded that we are settlers sharing these lands,” said the Rev. Canon Jennifer Schick from All Saints Anglican Church in Whitby, Ont. For years, her parishioners have been learning that reconciliation is not a statement but a practice.

“It has not always been easy to face up to past harms done by the church, but talking about it together has brought forth many blessings,” said Schick.

All Saints’ journey began in June 2017 with the installation and blessing of an Indigenous lands marker. The gold and black sign affixed to a boulder near the building entrance states that the church is located on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island, the Iroquoian-speaking Wendat, and the 1923 Williams Treaties First Nations.

In 2018, the ongoing commitment to reconciliation formally began when a small committee was formed to explore what reconciliation might look like in a parish setting. “It was just the three of us at first,” truth and reconciliation committee chair Keith Wagar said. “Things grew from there to where we are now.”

The committee began organizing trips to Indigenous communities and helping parishioners listen to Indigenous stories and learn their protocols. Despite being interrupted by covid, the church has had eight to ten visits and experiences that have sometimes been shared with other churches. Each one has opened a new door.

Preparing to go

Preparation for these visits is simple but intentional. Participants are encouraged to approach each visit with humility. Deacon Joanne Warman put it plainly: “Just be yourself. Do not ask foolish questions. The goal is not to arrive knowledgeable but to arrive teachable.”

When All Saints visited Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory in 2024, the parish was invited to take part in a tobacco presentation ceremony. The tobacco was ceremonial, tied and prepared in a specific way. Wagar offered it to the two presenters who shared their knowledge. He practised the presentation beforehand to ensure it was done “in a respectful and believing way.”

At Tyendinaga, the parish also heard from Callie Hill, CEO of Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na (which is Mohawk for “keeping the words alive”), who has over 20 years of Indigenous language revitalization experience.

“Our mandate is education,” said Hill. Their programming is for “anyone interested in learning things about our ways and willing to learn in a respectful way.”

Where the path leads

Some trips have been pilgrimages to sacred or historic sites such as Rice Lake (Pemadashdakota/Pemadashkodeyong), Ont. This area holds deep significance for the Anishinaabe (Mississaugas). It is known for its rare black and white oak savanna ecosystems and for its wild rice (manoomin). On November 17, 2025, Rice Lake was granted legal personhood by the Alderville First Nation band. This declaration was historic, making Rice Lake the first body of water in Ontario to receive ecological personhood status.

The church’s visit to Tyendinaga included seeing Christ Church, declared in 1904 by King Edward VII to be His Majesty’s Chapel Royal of the Mohawk. Canada is the only country in the Commonwealth, outside of the United Kingdom, with such royal chapels.

Other events included opportunities to connect with people and places that hold the living memory of residential schools, such as an outing to Sunderland, Ont. last fall to experience a replica of the Witness Blanket, a powerful artwork which incorporates salvaged items from residential schools across the country.

Excursions often include participation in Indigenous events throughout the region, including a dreamcatcher workshop and a Red Dress Day pow wow. The trips may last only a day, but the learning continues long after the drive home.

What the parish has learned

The impact on parishioners has been significant. Many parishioners have shared with All Saints’ truth and reconciliation committee that their eyes have been opened. One said, “It brought things home to me even more than before.” Another reflected that the educational offerings have made the parish “more aware than we were.”

For some parishioners, the learning has not been comfortable. For example, some have had to confront the temptation to dismiss the past. Parishioner James Wagar named the common refrain: “What happened 100 or 200 years ago was not me. Forget it.” Wagar continued, “No. They are not going to forget it.” Reconciliation requires truth, and truth requires facing what has been avoided.

The parish has also learned about ongoing injustices that shape Indigenous life today. One parishioner spoke with grief about communities that still do not have clean water. Another reflected on the deep wounds caused by the loss of family life. How does someone taken from their family and culture return to it later in life? “How does someone who had no family life build a family now?” she asked.

How the path shapes the parish

The trips have reshaped the parish’s worship and learning. All Saints holds an annual truth and reconciliation sunrise service every September. The church is located downtown on one of Whitby’s busiest roads. This service is held outdoors so that anyone passing by sees the parish’s public witness.

The first year, only a few attended. Last year, they had to bring out additional chairs for the more than a dozen in attendance who braved a cold morning to be a witness. Parishioners along with passersby are welcome to the service, including the smudging ceremony led by Cecile Wagar, a Métis elder.

Smudging is a sacred Indigenous ceremony in which medicines such as sage, cedar, sweetgrass or tobacco are burned, creating a cleansing smoke. This smoke is used to purify the mind, body and spirit, release negative energy and offer blessing.

Before every meeting, the truth and reconciliation committee reads from The First Nations Version of the Bible. One parishioner described this as an act of reconciliation in itself, a way of holding scripture in two voices and seeking consistency between them.

As Hill noted during my recent conversation with her, “It is not ours to find ways for non-Indigenous people to feel like they are reconciling. It is up to you . . . to figure out what reconciliation looks like to you.”

For All Saints, reconciliation is not a destination. It is a way of walking. It begins with listening. It deepens through presence. And it grows when people are willing to walk the path together.

Truth and reconciliation at All Saints also looks like:

• Six years of National Indigenous Day of Prayer services
• Participating in Orange Shirt Day
• Metis drummers and storytellers leading Sunday school
• Three years of Three Sister (corn, beans and squash) planting and education in their gardens
• Running an online four-part study of the Anglican-produced documentary Stolen Lands, Strong Hearts
• Hosting a Mapping the Ground We Stand On workshop by Alongside Hope