EDITORIAL
Y
Road to Healing
oung people feel like nobody cares for them. Most of them feel unloved ... I don’t want to lose another loved one to suicide.” These are the heartbreaking words of an Indigenous teen named Clarissa from Attawapiskat First Nation. Her 13-yearold cousin took her life last October. We are facing a national crisis. It’s not terrorism, the economy or any government agenda. It’s the condition of our First Nations communities, which have suffered from years of neglect, underfunding and abuse. A quick scan of the headlines confirms it. Last fall, Attawapiskat declared a state of emergency after 11 people attempted suicide in one day, including a 10-year-old child. Hundreds of Aboriginal women have gone missing or been murdered in the past three decades, sparking calls for a government inquiry. A recent study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives showed that 60 percent of Indigenous children on reserves in Canada live in poverty. The factors that lead to such inequity are complex, but the mere fact that it exists is nothing short of a national shame. Much more must be done to help. One of the biggest problems is that our society has tried to silence Aboriginal voices for so long, that many feel stripped of their identity. We still live with the terrible legacy of church-run residenSalvationist
is a monthly publication of The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory André Cox General Commissioner Susan McMillan Territorial Commander Lt-Colonel Jim Champ Secretary for Communications Geoff Moulton Editor-in-Chief Giselle Randall Features Editor (416-467-3185) Pamela Richardson News Editor, Production Co-ordinator, Copy Editor (416-422-6112) Kristin Ostensen Associate Editor and Staff Writer 4 July 2016 Salvationist
tial schools, where more than 150,000 Indigenous children were taken from their families and forced to renounce their traditions, language and beliefs. Many suffered years of horrible abuse. But there are signs of hope. Canadians are waking up to the need for initiatives that eschew paternalism and empower Aboriginal communities. In this issue, we let Indigenous Salvationists tell their stories. They, too, are part of “The Voice of the Army.” We interview Major Shari Russell (page 12) who shares the positive ways The Salvation Army is recognizing and celebrating Indigenous people. This includes engaging in Aboriginal roundtable discussions across the country. It means continuing to invest in Salvation Army corps and programs that celebrate Indigenous people, from Weetamah in Winnipeg to Gitwinksihlkw, B.C. It means keeping our promise to uphold the dignity of Indigenous people through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action. It means listening to how Indigenous Christians understand their culture and heritage (page 18). The first step on the journey is increasing our awareness. In his opinion column this month, Captain Mark Braye examines the dangers of cultural appropriation (page 25). And Jennifer Allan shares
Timothy Cheng Senior Graphic Designer Brandon Laird Design and Media Specialist Ada Leung Circulation Co-ordinator Ken Ramstead Contributor Agreement No. 40064794, ISSN 1718-5769. Member, The Canadian Church Press. All Scripture references from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) © 2011. All articles are copyright The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory and can be reprinted only with written permission.
how she escaped a vicious cycle of addiction and prostitution, and began a new life with the help of The Salvation Army (page 22). It’s time to take action. Let’s listen to people’s stories. Let’s forge a path to healing. Let’s work with Indigenous people to make Canada a place that everyone is proud to call home. GEOFF MOULTON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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