FAITH FORMATION

THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND MINISTRY SUPPORT 4

by Susannah Schmidt

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Cross-Cultural Camp Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth enjoy summer together

MANDATE | AUGUST 2014

Wampum Camp

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he thawing Grand River rushes as it meets Whiteman’s Creek in April near Paris, Ontario, at Five Oaks Education and Retreat Centre. Inside, the Rev. Robin McGauley, Program Director, hears the phone ringing with queries Campers make friends and learn about Aboriginal history. about Wampum, an Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth experience. The collaborative program of the centre and the United Catharines, and other Ontario towns. Mornings began with a Church’s Aboriginal Ministries Circle ran for the second year sacred fire. Youth could share in circle time, led by Stephens at Five Oaks for a week in July. McGauley says the question and the Rev. Thérèse Samuel, who was on the steering com“Where’s the call for us to be involved with right relations?” mittee and is Black, of African heritage. prompted the program’s formation. It’s as if her question is Youth visited the Six Nations reserve, including Nations being answered. Living into right relations is rarely simple, Uniting, a church-supported ministry focused on healing and but the ringing phone expresses urgency. treaty awareness, where Oneida Elder Grafton Anton offered The Wampum youth experience is emerging as “one of teachings. “They were perfect being free,” recollects Anton the most meaningful ways the church can actually live out about seeing youth in the program enjoying themselves. its apology to Aboriginal youth” notes former steering comWampum campers rafted the Grand River and toured mittee member the Rev. Matthew Stephens, who is of mixed the former Mohawk Institute (Anglican Indian Residential Kanien’keha:ka Haudenosaunee and Irish Metis heritage. It’s School). “We had kids saying, ‘I can’t believe my ancestors also a sign of peoples’ desire to realize right relations, he adds. did this’ and others saying, ‘This is what my grandparents Mission and Service supported the program with $3,000 from experienced,’” recollects McGauley. the Vision Fund, and the camp will appear in the 2014/15 Gifts Many non-Native youth, including Sawyer Parsons, expressed with Vision catalogue. Last summer, London and Hamilton frustration that they hadn’t heard of residential schools in their Conferences and the church’s Justice and Reconciliation own education. After taking part in Wampum, Parsons took a Fund provided funding to help launch the program. Native Studies course. “I just really liked getting to know all The camp-like program brings together 15 Aboriginal and the people,” he says. 15 non-Aboriginal youth aged 12 to 14 to create new friendThe challenges ahead include ensuring space for the voices ships across cultures with the support of junior leaders aged and experiences of racialized non-Aboriginal people. “Some 15 to 16, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adult leaders, and nights we [facilitators] were awake talking until 1:00 a.m.... an Elder. Wampum also aims to educate about residential This is a learning process,” says McGauley. schools and Haudenosaunee land, history, and culture. Adults who have steered the program reflect on the rewards The program’s name comes from wampum beads and treaty and challenges of this. How do you name and address interbelts that are specific to the Iroquois people, says Springwater cultural communication and group norms or balance respect Hester-Meawassige, Youth Leadership Coordinator for the and humour? “In the end, it’s about relationship building,” United Church’s Aboriginal Ministries Circle. She steers says Hester-Meawassige. the program along with McGauley. Wampum speaks of a treaty, about “two people in relationship to a place,” explains Susannah Schmidt writes from Hamilton, Ontario. Hester-Meawassige. Five Oaks is situated on Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) territory, specifically Upper Cayuga. Your gifts for Mission and Service made it possible for In 2013, encouraged by Native and non-Native church netthe Vision Fund to provide $128,675 in grants to 141 works, seven Aboriginal youth came from Oneida, Saugeen, recipients in 2013. To provide additional support to chiland Beausoleil First Nations and from Guelph and Goderich, dren and youth engaging in right relations, make a gift Ontario; one Cree youth came from Saskatoon. Eight nonthrough the 2014/15 Gifts with Vision giving catalogue Aboriginal White youth came from Guelph, Woodstock, St. (giftswithvision.ca).

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