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The report, a collection of voices that continue the tradition of Indigenous peoples in the ecumenical movement, is the fruit of the WCC Indigenous Peoples Network Reference Group and its first in-person gathering in October 2024.
“These voices can inspire and challenge a common witness to bring change and transformation,” notes Rev. Dr Peter Cruchley, director of the WCC Commission for World Mission and Evangelism, in the report’s preface. “The onslaught of climate change; the systemic violence of land loss, racism, poverty, and human rights violations; and the continuing legacies of colonization continue to disproportionately affect Indigenous peoples amongst all peoples."
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Tupá Mirim Joyan, a Guaraní man from Sao Paulo brings testimony of his indigenous roots and culture, as people of faith gather in a 'Prayer for the Rainforest' as part of the Cumbre Social por el Clima, on the fringes of COP25 in Madrid, where faith-based organizations urged decision-makers to take action for climate justice, December 2019, Madrid, Spain, Photo: Albin Hillert/Life on Earth Pictures
Contributor Prof. Dr Anne Pattel-Gray, in her essay Freedom from Colonial Christian Oppression, notes that she struggles with any narrative that portrays a colonial God who favours one race over another.
“Our theology is born from our land, founded on our relationship with the Creator Spirit since time began; and it is this deep ancient wisdom that sustains and provides our resilience to survive,” she writes.
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A Dayak indigenous girl welcomes a group of women to a retreat in Sembakung, a small village on the Indonesian island of Borneo. The ecumenical retreat was hosted by the local congregation of the Gereja Kristen Pemancar Injil (GKPI) and supported by United Women in Faith, Photo: Paul Jeffrey/Life on Earth pictures
She effectively summarizes the Indigenous spiritual insights shared by the authors of this publication. Together, they reveal how Indigenous wisdom is essential to tackling the climate crisis and how that crisis is linked intrinsically to justice concerning land matters.
As contributor Rev. Shane Goldie seeks to capture the profound spiritual connection in his poem “Earth’s Pulse,” he speaks of the connection Indigenous peoples have with the land.
He notes: “The way we treat the Earth reflects how we treat ourselves and each other.”
The seminar and the publication were supported by a grant from the German Federal Foreign Office.
