Sermon Indigenous Peoples day (June 21 2026)

I have an icon which I’ve shown to many of you which depicts the act of creation, and the one who is creating creation, is Jesus.   We have a tendency to think of the Creator as God the Father and forget the roles that Jesus and the Spirt played in creation.  We tend to place each aspect of God in a box and assign each aspect a role, mentally restricting their action.  I think we tend to focus on certain terms and theologies in the same way.  Praising and glorifying God, we think of hymns and holy songs, of mighty cathedrals and prayers of actions and activities of human origin. 

However our psalm today however, opens with the words:

“The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork.  One day tells its tale to another, * and one night imparts knowledge to another. Although they have no words or language, * and their voices are not heard, Their sound has gone out into all lands, * and their message to the ends of the world.”

And it’s not unique.  Creation giving Glory to God and proclaiming God’s might to the ends of the earth is a common theme in scripture, but how often do we think of Creations role in faith.  I had never really thought of Creation participating in evangelism….perhaps it’s a new thought for some of you as well? 

However, perhaps this idea is not unique, and perhaps we could view creation as more than simply a place where we live. More than a creation of God FOR us.   Perhaps Creation is a child of God in it’s own right.  Which makes us a family, brothers and sisters of the Earth as created beings and children of God.  Connected deeply and reliant upon one another in ways that are deeper than is commonly thought or at least commonly thought in some understandings.  Understandings that have too often divided the world into us and them, owner and commodity, and worst of all those loved by God and those who are not. 

However, this is certainly not the only mindset, and I would say it is an erroneous understanding of God relationship with people and creation.  Yet for some reason European settlers came to develop a very materialistic theology, a theology of property, ownership and dominion…rather than of stewardship and interrelationship.  Which has been the understanding of many indigenous communities, and a source of conflict since European and Indigenous first met.

As seen in this example of one of Chief Seattle’s speeches from the 1850’s.   He was speaking as a representative of the Suquamish people of Pudget Sound south of Vancouver Island speaking to settlers seeking to buy the land.

“How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to

  1. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how

can you buy them?

Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every

sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is

holy in the memory and experience of my people… What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from

a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon

happens to man. All things are connected.

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of

our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the

earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children that we have taught our

children that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons

of earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

This we know; the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This

we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All

things are connected.”

 

Our connection as a part of God’s created world is deeper than we often consider and our erroneous theologies have created a need for salvation, that goes beyond repentance.  Because we have reserved the word Salvation for those in need of Christ, but at it’s heart salvation goes much deeper and much wider.  Salvation comes from a Greek word which, in essence, means health, healing, wholeness.

Which is, in part, what we are about this June as we honour Indigenous Awareness Month…bringing out health, healing and wholeness.  Salvation for all of creation, particularly between settler and indigenous people.  Especially because often it was in the name of ‘salvation’, that salvation was ripped from thousands of Indigenous children, their families and communities.    And which was ripped from Creation as well, damaging all our relationships and our salvation.

Chief Seattle testified …

“I have seen a thousand rotting buffaloes on the prairie, left by the white man who shot them from a passing train… What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.”

 

This was never understood by those who came to Canada and who in time took power.  As you recall the awful purpose of deputy superintendent Scott and that of Canada’s Colonial government, which was summed up by a phrase coined by Richard Pratt in the early 1900’s “save the man, kill the Indian”.  Scott said:

“Our objective is to continue until there is not a single Indian in Canada that has not been absorbed into the body politic and there is no Indian question, and no Indian Department, that is the whole object...”

Save the man…kill the Indian.  There was no concept of how horrific this was.  No concept of how damaging this would be to generations of families, of cultures and the whole of Canada.  There was no understanding of how we were connected.  How all people were God’s children, how the earth itself was beloved of God and how all was made in God’s image.

The people in power had put God in a box and restricted access and indeed their own understanding of God as loving all creation, to humanity alone, but the even worse from all of humanity to Western, White, English descended, Anglo-Catholic people only.  And often justified by misuse of the term Salvation.

Perhaps we still need to widen our understanding of salvation, of who is in need of health, healing and wholeness.  In truth and in reconciliation, in story telling and in listening, in humility and in self awareness. In speaking out and in encouraging more voices to be heard.

Indigenous Awareness Month is an opportunity to participate in the good work of salvation, to encourage and take part in our own health, healing and wholeness and to ensure that salvation is available to all, people, animal and the earth itself.  Because we are all connected just as Chief Seattle taught, just as God created.  We are made by God and Christ and the Holy Spirit, through whom all things came into being.  Through whom we were all given salvation, not those we approve of, nor only those like us, but all of creation.  

This is something we all need reminding of from time to time.  That being saved doesn’t simply mean giving your life to God, it mean living the life of God and ensuring that each of us strive for salvation.  Keeping a keen eye not only on the past, but the present to ensure that we do not fall into the same traps as those in our histories.  For as our psalmist reminds us…we need to be on guard and follow God’s laws in order to attain that salvation.

“By (your judgements O Lord) also is your servant enlightened, * and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can tell how often he offends? * cleanse me from my secret faults. Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not get dominion over me; * then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a great offense.”

It has been made clear that even small actions against any people or environment can have an impact across the whole earth.  It is the same with the impacts which occurs when entire communities have been oppressed in Canada, and indeed globally.  Creation and humanity are connected deeply and intimately, what happens in one part resonates in the whole.  If we cause damage in one place we cause damage to all, if we build up one place we improve all and if one aspect of creation is healed we all grow stronger.

We need to work together, Indigenous and non indigenous, humanity and creation for the salvation of all creation, for health, for healing and for wholeness. 

So that all of creation; the earth and all who inhabit it can praise and give glory to God, in all ways and in all times. amen