Martha Justice Ministry is committed to making Reconciliation and Right Relations a priority for our education and advocacy work. For us, this means recognizing first that we live on the ancestral territory of Indigenous peoples. For the Sisters of St. Martha of Antigonish, that is Mi’kma’ki, the unceded territory of the Mi’kmaw people, covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship.

We understand that these Treaties, signed in good faith by Indigenous leaders, were not honoured by settlers to this land. We recognize the history of colonization, cultural genocide, and systemic racism that has brutalized Indigenous communities. This includes the shameful history of residential schools, which the Catholic Church had a large role in administering. The trauma of this history continues to this day. Further, systemic racism still functions in our communities and institutions, leading Indigenous communities to have some of the worst social, economic, and health outcomes in the country.

The path of reconciliation requires of us the willingness to face the truth of this devastation. It requires an openness to listening with humility and to building new relationships of trust and respect. In addition, it requires of us a commitment to work for change, in ourselves and in our communities, guided by Indigenous peoples’ calls for justice and healing.

This webpage offers some educational resources and campaigns that provide important perspectives and actions for groups wishing to engage further in the process of reconciliation and building right relations.