Aboriginal Neighbours

The Aboriginal Neighbours program is committed to working with Native people in Canada. We attempt to respond with human and financial resources to requests for assistance from Aboriginal communities and individuals. We also work at building bridges of understanding between Mennonite and Aboriginal people, a large task that we undertake with God’s help.

 The Young Chippewayan Band Genealogy project The Young Chippewayan Indian Reservation is located in Treaty Six Territory, the traditional home of the Nehiyawak or Plains Cree people. In May of 1897, this land (Reserve #107) was taken from the Young Chippewayan Band by the Federal Government to make it available for white settlement. Read more here about the history and the work that the Young Chippewayan Band, Mennonites, and Lutherans are doing to resolve this outstanding land claim at Laird, SK. Click here to watch a video.

 The Aboriginal Neighbours program provides a community partner grant to  Healing Hearts Ministry  in Regina to support the work of Spurgeon Root. As well as running youth group and youth Bible studies, Spurgeon has started a ministry called A Cowway Hotonomi, which reaches out to inner-city youth through rebuilding bicycles and furniture (and whatever they can get). Spurgeon also does outreach into the local High school, taking kids out on camping field trips to various places. He has also carried on a significant ministry in the local Regina Provincial Correctional Centre.

Mythperceptions is an initiative of the Indigenous Work Program of Mennonite Central Committee Canada. The goal of Mythperceptions is to dismantle stereotypes, myths and misconceptions that people from the dominant culture tend to believe about Indigenous peoples living within the borders of what is now North America.  Mythperceptions attempts to change views in a way that is engaging, yet gives opportunities to dig deeply into some of the issues facing Indigenous peoples.

For more information contact Leonard Doell.