About – Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre

Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre is a place of spirit where both Indigenous and Christian spiritual beliefs are respected, shared and understood. We are located on 36 peaceful acres of wooded parkland beside the Brokenhead River, one mile east of Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada. From the strength of our Elder’s wisdom, SSSC fosters teachings of respect, healing, and wholeness among all peoples and with all of creation. We are a non-profit organization involved in theological and cross-cultural training. “The Earth is Our Faculty” describes our orientation in education. The earth produces our language, our elders read the lessons of the earth and create our cultures. We have lived well for many millennia in this land.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples guides our work in leadership development and connection to the land. The educational mandates contained in Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action are taken seriously and are embedded in our curriculum and program work. The Calls to the Church, prepared by the Caretakers of Our Indigenous Circle, expresses our vision for the ongoing development of Indigenous Peoples’ mission and ministry and communities of faith within The United Church of Canada. Our learning circle and community-based education model has led the way in providing an Indigenous approach to learning and has fostered respect and engagement of non-Indigenous people, churches, schools and social agencies.

SSSC trains Indigenous community lay leaders in helping and healing capacities. We also train people for Indigenous leadership roles in The United Church of Canada and other churches. We affirm a style of leadership appropriate to Indigenous culture and the Indigenous church experience. We are constantly testing curricula and approaches to increase our effectiveness in our Indigenous context.

Learn More:

Partners Staff Keepers of the Vision/Board

History

Vision Mandate Calls to the Church

Partners

UCC Foundation – Seeds of Hope Fund

UCC Healing Fund

UCC Justice and Reconciliation Fund

UCC Faithful Foot Prints Fund

Dorothy Jenkins Estate Fund

Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Central Committee – Jubilee Fund

Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada

New England Company

Manitoba Metis Federation Summer Employment Program

Government of Canada/Service Canada – Canada Summer Jobs

Return to top.

Staff

Aliesha Desjarlais, Keeper of the Circle: adesjarlais@sandysaulteaux.ca

Rebecca Watson, Keeper of the Centre: rebecca@sandysaulteaux.ca

Deb Versluis, Hospitality & Student Services Co-ordinator: Deb_Versluis@sandysaulteaux.ca

Kristi Degenhardt, Kitchen Manager: kitchenmanager@sandysaulteaux.ca

Sandy MacGean, Bookkeeper: sandy@sandysaulteaux.ca

Erica Young, Communications Assistant: erica@sandysaulteaux.ca

Return to top.

Keepers of the Vision

Donna Kennedy has been involved with the United Church in many capacities, including with All Native Circle Conference. She is a member of Raymond Flett Memorial United Church and speaks her mother language Oji-Cree fluently.

Elenor Thompson is a SSSC graduate, elder and ordained minister in her home community of Oxford House. She is fluent in her language Cree.

Deanna Zantingh is a former Keeper of the Learning Circle and now PhD student at the University of Toronto.

Mary Courtenay is a former Keeper of the Learning Circle and now Honoured Elder.

Grant Queskekapow of Norway House is a member of the UCC National Indigenous Elders Council and is fluent in his language Cree.

Ken Thomas is a certified professional accountant and an ordained United Church minister in Winnipeg.

Gloria Cook was born into the Fisher River Cree Nation. She has worked with the Indigenous community, the Federal government and the United Church of Canada.

Kathryn Fournier is Cree and Ojibway on her mother’s side and Franco-Ontarian on her father’s side. She is active in the All My Relations Circle of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa.

Brian George is Anishinabek and has served as a spiritual leader in Neyaashiinigmiing, ON for over 20 years. He is a candidate for ministry and the SSSC student representative on the Keepers of the Vision.

Return to top.

History

The Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre is an amalgamation of the Francis Sandy Theological Centre and the Dr. Jessie Saulteaux Resource Centre.

Return to top.

Purpose

The Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre is a religious non-profit organization involving theological training and cross-cultural training, as a training Centre under The United Church of Canada.

The Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre is a place of spirit where both Indigenous and Christian spiritual beliefs are respected, shared and understood. In the circle, Indigenous women and men are nurtured for leadership roles in the United Church of Canada and Indigenous communities as lay, diaconal and ordained ministers. From the strength of Elders’ wisdom, The SSSC will foster teachings of respect, healing, and connectedness to be shared for the benefit of individuals and for restoring balance and wholeness among peoples and with all of creation.

Return to top.

Objectives

To provide culturally specific theological education and preparation for both lay and ordered ministry that respects both Christian beliefs and traditional Indigenous spirituality and values
To honour the diversity of cultures, languages and traditions of the communities
To honour elders rooted in community who bring special spiritual gifts
To use a community-based model for Indigenous Christian ministry preparation in changing contexts
To honour a learning circle model that enables everyone to have a voice, be respected and included, bring their particular experience and perspective, and to listen
To find opportunities for students to serve in a pastoral ministry setting in an Indigenous community – both urban and rural – during their studies
To conduct classes using a learning circle model which enables everyone in the circle to have a voice, be respected and included
To provide a learning context that addresses healing from the effects of racism, colonization, and inequitable cultural value
To promote right relations through cross-cultural healing and learning between Indigenous peoples of diverse identities and non-Indigenous peoples and communities
To deepen local, regional, national, and global ecumenical and interfaith relations, particularly with Indigenous peoples
To support ministry personnel serving Indigenous communities, with continuing education and support
To provide a retreat and educational facility that furthers the objectives of the Corporation

Return to top.

Calls to the Church

The Calls to the Church emerged from a process of discernment by the Indigenous Church from 2016-2017. They articulate the Indigenous Church’s vision for the ongoing development of Indigenous Peoples’ mission and ministry and communities of faith within The United Church of Canada. They outline pathways for the whole church to continue to walk in the Spirit of Christ toward justice, healing, and reconciliation.

Download the Calls to the Church

Read more about the Calls to the Church from The United Church of Canada here: www.united-church.ca/community-faith/being-community/indigenous-ministries/calls-church.

Return to top.