I started my journey with Hearts Exchanged last year, and it turned into a truly incredible exploration. 

To understand where I am today, we have to travel back about three years. I had always been eager to learn about my family background and repeatedly quizzed my parents about our roots. My father’s side was easy to trace: my grandfather was born in Glasgow and remembered immigrating to Canada, and my grandmother’s lineage led straight back to Scotland as well.

My mother, however, was always vague. "Mostly Irish," she would say. Somehow, that answer never rang true to me; it felt incomplete. My mother passed away ten years ago, leaving me with a deep longing to understand her better. During a deep dive into our family history, I finally found my great-parents’ marriage record. My great-grandfather was listed with his full name and place of birth, but my great-grandmother was recorded simply as Margaret, a Cree "Indian" from Moose Factory.

My heart leapt. It felt as though enormous puzzle pieces inside me were shifting and falling into place. I knew with certainty that this was the answer I had been searching for most of my life.

Once I had this information, though, I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I read voraciously. I began following my great-grandmother’s band, the Moose Cree First Nation, on every social media platform I could find, desperate to connect in a deeper way with my roots. My minister at Frankford United Church encouraged me to meet with Marlene Wolters while I was exploring the idea of hosting a Truth and Reconciliation Sunday in our worship.

Marlene became a wonderful support, and she suggested I join Hearts Exchanged.

I attended the first session with great trepidation. My heart was deeply conflicted, caught between its new Indigenous beat and my ingrained settler mentality. Each month, the readings challenged my mind and stirred my emotions. Sometimes I felt a profound sense of sorrow. Other times, I experienced an unfamiliar flash of anger that lingered and was difficult to process. I found myself questioning the teachings of my youth and confronting long-held family beliefs.

I brought all of these emotions to the circle each week and found others wrestling with the very same questions. Together, we examined our feelings and explored what truth and reconciliation truly mean.

For me, Hearts Exchanged was a deeply personal journey. I discovered the truth of my own family history and began a true reconciliation of my soul. The most amazing part of the program is that it wasn’t the end of my journey—it was the awakening of a desire to dig deeper and go further.

Next summer, I am planning to join the annual "Gathering Of Our People" in Moose Factory, the traditional lands of the Moose Cree First Nation. In preparation, I am learning basic Moose Cree phrases and sewing a ribbon skirt.

Hearts Exchanged wasn’t just a series of classes or discussions. It was a sacred exploration—and one that every Christian should take the opportunity to experience.

For more information or to begin planning with your congregation, email [email protected] or visit crcna.org/hearts-exchanged. Hearts Exchanged cohorts will be running in regions across Canada this fall. Sign up now, and our team will connect you with a group.