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Program Seven: Medicine Wheel as Pastoral Ministry

 

Exploring how The Building Bridges Project sponsored by Western Assembly of Catholic Bishops is only the latest of Canadian Church initiatives to encourage Church First Nations, Inuit and Metis membership.

 

 

 

Materials

 

  • Videos:
“Program Seven - Medicine Wheel as Pastoral Ministry"

 

  • Documents

“Directions in Aboriginal Ministry”
Building Bridges Project/ Newman College, Edmonton Alberta

 

“The Story of Canadian Aboriginal Spirituality”
Chapter 3, World Religions: A Canadian Catholic Perspective
By Sr. Eva Solomon, CSJ
Novalis Publishing Inc. and Nelson Education Ltd. 2011

 

"Medicine Wheel: A Method of Reading the Bible"
By +Sylvain Lavoie, OMI
Publisher TBA

 

“Drumming from Within: Tales of Hope and Faith from Canada's North.”
By +Sylvain Lavoie, OMI
Novalis Publishing Inc. 2009

 

"Faith Moments: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha"

By Anne Neuberger. Novalis 2009

 

  • Websites:
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) Click Here

 

Canadian Bishops on Saint Kateri Click Here

 

Canadian Bishops on Canadian Indigenous Peoples Click Here

 

Salt and Light TV video on Saint Kateri Click Here

 

Jesuits of English Canada on Saint Kateri Click Here

 

Catholic Missions in Canada Click Here

 

Saint Kateri Resources
compiled by
Religious Education + Family Life
Renfrew County Catholic School Board Click Here

 

 

Study Guide

 

Goal

 

The goal of Program Seven is to deepen students’ understanding of how the Catholic Church has worked for decades to assist its First Nations members to live their faith in the context of their traditional heritages. With reflections from Fr. Daryold Corbiere Winkler, CSB, Ojibway First Nation, Basilian Priest; Archbishop Sylvain Lavoie, OMI, Archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas (2005-12), Founding Chair, Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs, Assembly of Western Catholic Bishops; Rosella Kinoshameg, Odawa First Nation, Member, Aboriginal Council, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops; Sr. Eva Solomon, CSJ, Ojibway First Nation, Sister of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie, Executive Director, Building Bridges Project.

 

Steps

 

1. Show the internet TV video "Program Seven: Medicine Wheel as Pastoral Ministry"

 

2. Ask students to form small groups to describe the following impressions from the video:

  • Who are the Aboriginal speakers speaking in the video and what are their main thoughts?
  • Who are the non-Aboriginal speakers speaking in the video and what are their main thoughts?
  • What did you know after viewing the video that you didn’t know before?
  • Give three reasons why Canadian Catholics should support the work of the Building Bridges Project.
  • From this video, describe a difference between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal concepts about pastoral ministry social justice and how understanding this helps create better understanding between Aboriginal and on-Aboriginal parishioners.

 

3. Option for Take-Home Assignment

  • Via the Internet find more facts about Canada’s First Nations Catholics living on reserves and in the cities.
  • From the video, how do you think Aboriginal approaches to pastoral ministry might help all Aboriginal peoples in their daily lives?
  • In groups, make presentations to the class about any or all of the above.