York Catholic school board motion to recite Indigenous land acknowledgement before prayer fails

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 3, 2021

Some York Catholic District School Board trustees found themselves on Nov. 30 evening torn between their faith and their commitment to truth and reconciliation as the search of remains of students at residential schools continue in the nation.

YCDSB trustee Theresa McNicol, who was behind the motion, called to place the Indigenous land acknowledgement prior to the Catholic prayer. Currently, the meeting starts with an opening prayer followed by the land acknowledgement.

“We as Catholics are not undermining prayer by placing it after the land acknowledgement. But in fact, we are highlighting the importance of our prayer. Let us join in together in seeking a true call to truth and reconciliation with our community partners,” McNicol told her colleagues.

“This is a perfect time to be able to open our hearts to our community partners,” she added as Catholics venture into the season of Advent leading to Christmas, the birth of Jesus.

The motion failed, with six trustees opposed to it, saying they wanted to start their meeting with prayer, since it’s the crux and the central theme of a Catholic board.

However, trustees Carol Cotton and Elizabeth Crowe decided to leave the virtual meeting to avoid voting on the motion, to which they objected.

“My wish is that our time at this table be not spent focused upon an arbitrary sequence on a printed agenda, but rather on how as faith-filled Catholic trustees we can better model our true commitment to the cause of action made in our truth and reconciliation documents,” Cotton said.

“I will borrow from a colleague's comments to state that I find it repugnant to disrespect our core beliefs,” she added. “And therefore I will not debate or vote upon this motion this evening.”

Crowe, meanwhile said, “I wasn't going to speak because I have also been torn, and trustee, vice-chair Cotton asserted so eloquently about having to be forced to make a vote this evening.

“And I truly considered what she's saying and being able to abstain, and refusing to vote on the matter.

While the board of trustees won't recite the land acknowledgement ahead of the prayer, York Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association recites the land acknowledgement prior to the prayer at all meetings.

Since May, Canada has been grappling by the discovery of more than 1,000 unmarked graves at the sites former church-operated residential schools.

At least 150,000 Indigenous children over more than a century were taken from their families and forced to attend the schools, many of these schools fell under the Catholic church’s auspices.

The Catholic Bishops of Canada has already apologized to the Indigenous Peoples of Canada over residential schools.

Also, Sep. 30 marked the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation nationwide.

In addition, Pope Francis has agreed to visit Canada to assist with ongoing reconciliation efforts with Indigenous groups.