Last Sunday's Children's Chapel: Holding and Healing Hard Histories
Thank you, Janet Poeton, for leading what one parent described as a very deep session, and thank to all who participated so fully. This is an amazing learning collaborative. If you haven't come in awhile, join anytime you wish!
Stolen Words is about a school in Canada, but it happened in our country too. Over 350 boarding / residential schools were set up in 29 states starting in the 1800s and continuing until 1960s in the US and late 1990s. in Canada. The book conveys why it's so important to lift up and celebrate indigenous languages now, as the girl in the book does for her grandpa, and as the children at UCM have done publicly for the Western Abenaki. Please visit our church yard anytime this month to see the illustrations some of the families sent in last year and this year!
- They reviewed the gesture that they collectively came up with the week before for the theme of Holding History.
- Janet shared this book, Stolen Words, a very tender telling of a Cree granddaughter learning about her grandfather's time of having to stop speaking his language at a residential school, and her way of helping him heal. If you missed the session, you might consider watching the link above with them.
It's important if you watch it, to reassure your child that they will not be taken away like the children in these books. It is a scary thought though, and that helps them have empathy for the kids it did happen to. It's important to emphasize that those indigenous parents in the story did everything they could to keep their kids, but there were harsh and hateful laws back then that made it essentially impossible to keep their children. Many children tried to run away and some succeeded.
Avram asked an important and powerful question at the end, "Who did this?" It was the end of the time, but we invite you to continue the conversation at home. Unfortunately, the answer is that the schools were government funded and then run by some Christian Churches. It's a humbling but important lesson that governments can be misguided and so can churches at times. We need to be critical thinkers and not just accept what they promote in a given moment, but to make sure it fits with what our hearts and minds tell us too.
The white people from those churches convinced themselves that they were helping these indigenous people. They were blinded by their prejudice and hateful beliefs that white culture was good and indigenous culture was bad. They thought that teaching them English would help them to fit-in better with the white world, but now we know it is very wrong to erase someone's culture and that many of those schools were very cruel and caused pain that is still lingering today .
Scroll down for some resources below to help you learn more as an adult, and to decide how you want to talk about it with your child, depending on their age and curiosity. In the meantime, there's an ONLINE and IN-PERSON option next Sunday:
Pre-worship Children's Chapel (Zoom), Every Sunday 9:15-9:45am
Sun. Nov. 21st: Making Gratitude Trees
If you can, have your child bring 2-3 medium branches with several small twigs branching off of it, and have a vase or jar to set it in. We'll talk about making it into a family tradition called a Gratitude Tree and use leaves from the care packages (coming soon). Led by Liza.
Outdoor Gratitude Circles in the Churchyard
2-2:30pm or 3-3:30pm
Marissa was saying recently that the middle schoolers and high schoolers get special outdoor time together, but not the younger kids. So here's their chance. We'll have pumpkin muffins and tea at the end for those who want to linger a bit. Limited to 20 people or fewer per session. Many ways for kids and adults to participate, while socially distanced. All ages! Find out more and RSVP here. RSVP required--by Friday if possible. Thanks!
Hope to connect with you soon, either online or in-person!
LizaFollow-up Resources to 11/14 Children's Chapel:
Daycare Teaches Toddlers about Residential Schools (2 1/2 mins.)
Explains some of the reasons for having these conversations with young kids.
Talking to Kids about Residential Schools How to prepare yourself as a parent for these conversations. Tips on personal preparation and also follow-up readings for various ages, and podcasts too. The tips are from indigenous author Monique Gray Smith. (9 1/2 mins.)
Books:
My Heart Fills with Happiness, Illustrated by Julie Flett, Published Orca Book Publishing
You Hold Me Up, Illustrated by Danielle Daniel, Published Orca Books
When We Are Kind, Illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt, Published Orca Books
Lucy and Lola (The Journey Forward): Published by McKellar and Martin
Speaking our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation, Published by Orca Book Publishing
Tilly: A Story of Hope and Resilience, published by Sono Nis Press
Tilly and the Crazy Eights, published by Second Story Press
Coming Soon:
I Hope published by Orca Book Publishers
