Demystifying Reconciliation

However, the actual understanding behind what the word means has been lost in the noise, and the tangible actions many take are often surface level.

The importance of educating both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples on the purpose of reconciliation is critical to the building blocks of this healing journey.

Providing purposeful and impactful pathways to reconciliation has been a goal of the non-profit Returning to Spirit (RTS) for more than 23 years. Indigenous led, this organization has partnered with the Archdiocese of Winnipeg to transform the city into a hub of reconciliation built on meaningful relationships and transformative change, within and outside of Indigenous communities. For the next year, RTS and the parishes under the Archdiocese of Winnipeg will deliver reconciliation workshops to encourage engagement, open dialogue and foster healing. They will launch a leadership program for young adults and create an Indigenous-led trainer development program to build capacity and sustain reconciliation efforts. 

The Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) is proud to contribute funding to such an important initiative. The impact this partnership will have between Indigenous Peoples and the Catholic community cannot be understated. By implementing a structured, Indigenous-led approach to reconciliation, participants will deepen their understandings of one another and feel empowered to take learnings back home to drive community-scale reconciliation. 

RTS and the Archdiocese of Winnipeg will launch 11 workshops in Winnipeg and Brandon. Since 2001, RTS has been delivering workshops dedicated to opening dialogue and encouraging face-to-face reconciliation between Indigenous Peoples and individuals from faith communities. Thousands have walked away from these sessions feeling changed, lighter and with a more hopeful outlook. This partnership marks the next step in that journey.

Archdiocese of Winnipeg