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On June 3, we witnessed a historic event with the release of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

In a letter to The United Church of Canada, Moderator the Rt. Rev. Dr. Richard Bott and the Rev. Maggie Dieter, Executive Minister, Indigenous Ministries and Justice, urge non-Indigenous members and friends of the United Church to

  • read the final report of the Inquiry
  • advocate for the actions it demands of government
  • explore how each of us, individually and as communities of faith, will make the changes necessary to ensure the dignity and safety of Indigenous peoples in this country

We renew our pledge to be good relations, and we ask the whole of the church to pray:

God of peace, receive our prayers

For the beautiful Indigenous girls growing up across this country
May they always be able to enjoy times of learning, times of play, and time at home safely

For the beautiful Indigenous women working hard for their families and communities
May they always be able to enjoy times of relaxation and respite from their cares,
securely and free from fear

For the beautiful two-spirit people blessing all those with whom they come into contact
May they always be able to enjoy the cities, the towns, and the countryside of this great land in comfort and with a sense of welcome wherever they go

God of grace, receive our prayers

For the work of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
For the families and all those who loved the beautiful ones who have been lost
For the justice we all hope for and long for so very much

In the name of all our relations. Amen

(Excerpted from “For the Beauty of Those Lost, for Healing Founded on Justice,” The United Church of Canada)