Westside CRC Lives the 8th Fire

A Muslim man from Iran, a few students from the Christian Reformed Church campus ministry Geneva House, several First Nations or Metis people, and a couple dozen other members of churches from across Kingston, Ontario, recently gathered to learn about the relationship between Indigenous peoples and other Canadians.

The group met at Westside Fellowship CRC in Kingston and used the Living the 8th Fire workshop series to “get to know the neighbours,” as the host of the CBC 8th Fire series around which the series is built puts it.

The Living the 8th Fire series is meant for people who want to get into conversation across the Indigenous/non-Indigenous divide in Canada. The seven sessions, many including an episode of the CBC 8th Fire series, help break down stereotypes, address the questions participants may be afraid to ask, and set the stage to move forward together towards reconciliation.

At Westside Fellowship, participants started with a Blanket Exercise, a participatory exercise which literally walks participants through the history of relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada, using direct quotes from historical figures and the striking visual metaphor of slowly shrinking blankets spread on the floor.

Around 50 people participated in the exercise, which was open to everyone, including those who didn’t plan to participate in the entire seven-session series.

Gary van Loon, co-facilitator of the series and member of Westside Fellowship, said the experience had a powerful effect on participants. “It wasn’t the intellectual content of [the Blanket Exercise] as much as having First Nations people there—we’re talking about things that really had an impact on people.”

Van Loon said another highlight of sharing this time and learning together was the participation of a First Nations man who had attended residential schools for several years.

After leaving the residential schools, the man spent the rest of his childhood growing up in the bush with his grandfather. He captivated the group at Westside Fellowship with his insights and contributions.

Van Loon said he had first met the man at The Mess, an arts ministry supported in part by Diaconal Ministries Canada. On the first evening of the workshop series, the First Nations man brought in a set of his paintings to share with the group.

The group did run into some tension when it came time for a smudging ceremony, an Indigenous aspect of liturgy which informs people that worship is about to begin.

The group was open to it, but one member of the Westside Fellowship congregation who counts Aboriginal people among her ancestors was opposed to its use.

For background, the CRC in Canada hosted discussions around the use of smudging and other First Nations ceremonies in worship in 2000, and the report can be read here.

At Westside, the facilitators finally decided not to use the smudging ceremony, after dialogue with this person and church leadership, including Westside’s pastor who was an active participant in the whole series. But  they did use another First Nations ceremony called the travelling ceremony.

Van Loon’s advice for others who wish to run this series is to make a special effort to invite First Nations participants.

 “I almost wouldn’t do it without that participation,” he said, noting the transformative power that occurs when Indigenous people and other Canadians gather to discuss stereotypes and other things that have divided them.

Van Loon also advises setting an atmosphere of openness from the beginning and being especially sure to let Indigenous participants know that, to respect adult participants’ experiences and opinions, views might be allowed to be aired that could be offensive.

But, he said, in the context of  group learning, it is important to be in relationships of respect for all.

This group got along so well that they’re now planning to meet once a week for three weeks this fall to reunite and learn more together, and several people who met in the group now visit back and forth as friends.

They are learning to “live the 8th fire,” echoing a First Nations’ prophecy that foretells a time when Indigenous people and settlers will be given a choice between two paths: one that leads to mutual destruction and another that leads to peace and unity.

You can learn more about Living the 8th Fire and download the full facilitators’ guide for free from the Canadian Aboriginal Ministry Committee’s toolkit here: https://aboriginalministry.wordpress.com/workshops/