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Canadian Lutherans respond to the legacy of the residential school system
CANADA - The disovery of unmarked graves near former residential schools in Canada has brought fresh grief to the country, as people grapple with the legacy of the residential school system.
“The discovery of more unmarked graves near another residential school in Canada is heartbreaking,” said Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) President Teuscher. “Let us draw near to our Indigenous brothers and sisters in this time, and lift them up in prayer to our heavenly Father. Lord, have mercy.”
LCC earlier released a statement on the legacy of the residential school system after the tragic discovery of several hundred unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, lamenting the tragic death of children and recognizing the devastation the residential school system has caused to indigenous families and communities across the country and encouraging care and prayer for our indigenous brothers and sisters. That letter can be read online at canadianlutheran. ca as well as in the May/June issue of The Canadian Lutheran.
A poem by LCC hymnwriter Rev. Kurt E. Reinhardt reflecting on the tragedy entitled “Their Stolen Children Have Been Found” was also recently published online.
In June, the Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots (LAMP) also issued an open letter on the legacy of the Residential School System. “We at LAMP are grieved by the news of the death of these children and the damage that this situation and the entire residential school system has caused the Indigenous communities across Canada,” writes Rev. Dennis Ouellette, Interim Executive Director of LAMP. “What makes this worse is that these heinous acts were done in the name of the Church and in the name of Jesus Christ. This is totally against the teachings of Jesus and the grace and mercy He demonstrated to so many people during His earthly walk.”
LAMP is a listed service organization of Lutheran Church–Canada.
Interim Executive Director Ouellette goes on to note that during LAMP’s 52 years serving Indigenous communities, “LAMP’s staff, volunteer missionaries, and field missionaries have heard countless stories regarding Indigenous people’s experiences in the residential school system.”
“It is times like these that enforce the need for all of us to become acutely sensitive to the indigenous culture and the conditions that have affected their lives, including the aftermath of the residential schools,” the letter continues. “In hearing the stories of the people, both as those who experienced the residential system first-hand, and as people for whom Jesus died and gave His life, each of us must respond with the love and compassion that only our Savior Jesus can provide.”
