Dance the Reconciliation Dance

CRC commissioned pastor Harold Roscher, Director and Chaplain of the Edmonton Native Healing Centre, wrote this reflection in response to the Government of Canada’s apology to residential school survivors.

“It has been ten years since I discovered I was Cree, and my own reconciliation process continues with each new thing I learn about my culture and ceremonial life. In the same way, the apology from the government is the starting point on our broader journey of reconciliation. It reminds me of the Snake Dance (known also as a 'unity dance'), where we dance in a single line, then separate into two single lines (signifying the shedding of skin), then come together again in a single line as a new creation, ready to reflect the Creator's glory.

In our ritual and ceremonial lives we as Aboriginal peoples dance as a reminder of our covenant relationship to the creator. So I invite you — members of the CRC in Canada, government leaders, and all readers of Mobile Justice — to dance the reconciliation dance with my people right across Canada in friendship and peace as a reflection of our covenant relationship with Christ. When we share each others' burdens and joys, the Creator's glory shines brighter for all to see.”