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October 23, 2012
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Opposed to ‘religious marketing’ BY CORNELIA NAYLOR cnaylor@chilliwacktimes.com
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he Chilliwack school board is getting ready to discuss a regulation that one parent has said endorses “religious marketing” in local schools. Richard Ajabu said his daughter, who attends Sardis elementary, came home with a glossy colour brochure from Gideons International, an evangelical Protestant association that has handed out free Bibles to Canadian Grade 5 public school students since 1946. The brochure, which doubles as
Parent says distribution of Bible only serves to offend other religions and First Nations people “Answer Book.” a parent consent form for The brochure also kids to receive a free Bible, includes the Gideons webstates “It is often in grade site address. five that a child begins ask“My child was given reliing the big questions of life: EB IRST gious marketing matewhat is right and wrong, what is the purpose of life, First reported on rial with a photo of a free gift and what happens when chilliwacktimes.com (attractive red answer book plastered with smiling kids), we die” and includes a picture of the Gideon testament, which intriguing (and potentially frightenfeatures a red cover with pictures ing) questions, branding and graphic of smiling children above the title art,” wrote Ajabu in an email sent
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to District Parent Advisory Council president Gord Byers, and forwarded to the Times and school officials. “My child was not given a plain parent consent form from her teacher/ school; her teacher/school gave her religious marketing material that also had two lines for parental consent.” Ajabu was surprised to find out the distribution of Gideon testaments to Grade 5 students is endorsed by School District No. 33 administrative
◗ We want to hear your comments. Fax them to 604-792-9300 or email us at editorial@chilliwacktimes.com. regulation 518, which states, “The Board approves the distribution of Gideon Youth Testaments to Grade 5 pupils with parental consent.” “Imagine how Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and children of other religions feel knowing that SD33 give preferential access to Christian marketing?” wrote Ajabu. “I can imagine See BIBLE, Page 4
Sto:lo remains return home BY CORNELIA NAYLOR cnaylor@chilliwacktimes.com
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Cornelia Naylor/TIMES
Members of the Sto:lo community carry cedar boxes containing the remains of 11 of their ancestors into the Sto:lo Resource Centre Friday. The bones had been held at the UBC Laboratory for Archaeology for decades and their return marks an important milestone in a five-year repatriation process.
he return of the bones of 11 Sto:lo ancestors from UBC Friday could one day help other First Nations get their ancestral remains back from other institutions. The Sto:lo bones were returned during a ceremony at the Sto:lo Research and Resource Management Centre (SRRMC), marking a major milestone in a five-year process that has involved UBC, Sto:lo Nation, Sto:lo Tribal Council and other Sto:lo First Nations. The remains had been held at UBC’s Laboratory of Archaeology starting in the 1950s. Because the See BONES, Page 6
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