Bridgefolk Conference 2019: Mennonites and Catholics in Dialogue
“Toward a Just Peace: Indigenous-Settler Reconciliation Through Friendship”
Sr. Eva Solomon CSJ (keynote speaker)
Indigenous Elder, Roman Catholic Sister of St. Joseph
Sister Eva is an Ojibway from Northern Ontario. She has been a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie for almost fifty years. She has a strong commitment to the development of a truly Aboriginal Catholic Church. She has worked for many years with her own people and many other Aboriginal peoples of both Canada and United States. She spent one year with Indigenous people in various parts of Mexico as well.
In her traditional way, Sister Eva is a Sacred Pipe Carrier and Conductor of the Sweat Lodge as well as various other ceremonies. She has conducted many retreats and days of reflections with many different groups. On May 16, 1999, Sr. Eva received the “Christian Culture Award Gold Medal” from Assumption University in Windsor, ON, for her work in reconciling Anishinabe spiritual traditions and Christianity. This medal “is bestowed annually to an ‘outstanding exponent of Christian ideals.’” Past winners include: Dorothy Day, Jean Vanier, and Lisa Sowle Cahill.
Sr. Eva currently lives in Winnipeg, and is connected with St. Kateri Catholic Indigenous Parish.
Steve Heinrichs (keynote speaker)
Director, Indigenous-Settler Relations, Mennonite Church Canada
Steve is a Settler Christian from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Treaty 1 Territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation. The director of Indigenous-Settler Relations for Mennonite Church Canada, Steve is a student of activism who loves to march with his partner, Ann, and their children, Izzy, Aiden, and Abby. Steve is passionate about the church’s call to solidarity and reconciliation with our host peoples. A former pastor in the Carrier territory of northern British Columbia, he loves to help congregations grapple not only with the important issues that keep peoples and nations apart, but also with the great hope and promise of life done together. Steve would be delighted to listen to congregations – to hear their stories and experiences – and to share his learning through dialogical workshops, teaching and preaching.
Steve is a member of Hope Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Lisa Raven (panel speaker)
Executive Director, Returning to Spirit: Residential School Reconciliation
Lisa is from Hollow Water First Nation in Manitoba, an Ojibway community known for innovation in the field of Restorative Justice. She attended Marieval Indian Residential School (SK) for one year. She first took the Returning to Spirit workshops in 2005 and found it to be a life-altering experience. It broke through in a way that years of therapy and counselling had not. She became a Returning to Spirit trainer in 2007 to make a difference with others, in the same way that the trainers had made a difference for her. She is deeply honoured and inspired by the courage and grace of people willing to move forward from what has been keeping them stuck in life.
Lisa believes that we were put on this earth to operate from our greatness, regardless of race, creed or background, as humans we limit ourselves in so many ways. The Returning to Spirit process helps to clarify the WHY and the HOW.
Will Braun (panel speaker)
Senior Writer, Canadian Mennonite
Will Braun lives with his wife and two sons on a small farm south of Morden, Manitoba, not far from where he grew up. He is a former editor for Geez magazine. As senior writer for Canadian Mennonite magazine, Will’s goal is to provide in-depth coverage of matters in the Mennonite world. In addition to writing and farming, he works for the Interchurch Council on Hydropower. He does research and advocacy on energy and Indigenous issues. In the past, Will worked for Mennonite Central Committee in Brazil, on Vancouver Island and in Manitoba. Will and his family attend Pembina Mennonite Fellowship.
Dr. Mary LeMaître (panel speaker)
Professor, Department of Modern Languages and Literature, University of Winnipeg Communications, KAIROS, Cambrian-Agassiz Region
Dr. Mary LeMaître holds a PhD in 20th Century French Literature, 18th Century French Literature, and Catholic Studies specializing in the analysis of social discourse, a Master’s in Medieval French Literature, a pre-Master’s in Speech Pathology, and a B.A. French Honours (with Cree and Spanish). She has been teaching at U of Winnipeg since 2010. She loves teaching and writing books!
Since attending the Truth and Reconcilliation Commission (TRC) in Winnipeg in 2010, she has turned the focus of her research towards Residential Schools, the treaties, The Indian Act, and colonial discourse; that is, stereotypes about Indigenous Canadians: what they are, where they come from, how they affect our relationships, and how we can change them. Dr. LeMaître is a member of the Meet Me @ The Bell Tower family, the Communications person for KAIROS in the Cambrian-Agassiz Region (MB and S-W ON) as well as a member of the Returning to Spirit Board of Directors. Dr. LeMaître has created an Indigenous Requirement Course for her department entitled “Decolonizing Voices” which looks at colonial discourse and colonial structures in Canada and Indigenous works as a response to them.
Stan Fontaine (Welcome to Treaty One Territory)
Sagkeeng First Nation, MB, living in Winnipeg, MB
Stan attended the Indian Residential School at Sagkeeng First Nation for seven years. He first took the Returning to Spirit Foundational Workshop for Indigenous participants in January 2015 in St. Boniface and completed the Reconciliation Workshop in February 2018. The workshops clearly showed that we need to get past our perceived stories and be open to others. We also need to listen, share, and discuss issues for reconciliation. Stan became a board member with Returning to Spirit as an opportunity to contribute. To him, reconciliation is the way to go for healing and in paving a new relationship with those around us.
Local Planning Committee
Laura Funk – co-chair, worship planner, media & communications, venue planning, play producer, and many other hats!
Laura is a spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and chaplain at a personal care home in Winnipeg. We are grateful to Butterfly Journeys (Laura’s company) for the time she has dedicated to the myriad details involved in coordinating and planning this conference. She is a member of Hope Mennonite Church.
Gilbert Detillieux – co-chair, board liaison, media & communications
Gilbert is an information technologist at the University of Manitoba. He is also a member of the Bridgefolk board of directors. He is a member of St. Paul the Apostle RC parish.
Alice Harms – secretary & scribe, details & logistics, lodging coordinator
Alice is a math and science teacher at Mennonite Collegiate Institute, in Gretna, Manitoba, and attends Seeds Church in Altona, and Grain of Wheat in Winnipeg.
Marilyn Houser Hamm – musician & lead worship planner
Marilyn is a musician, teacher, and lover of the Church. Writing music, leading congregational workshops on music in worship, and editing hymnal and song collections are all regular activities. She and her husband Ray live in the heritage village of Neubergthal in southern Manitoba. They have three grown children, a large garden, and are happy to receive visitors in the summertime.
Br. Thomas Novak, OMI – (call me Tom) co-signer on the Bridgefolk Canada account, sponsorship and publicity
Thomas is a brother with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and advocate for Indigenous rights. He is a pastoral outreach worker at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Aboriginal Catholic Parish.
Marcus Rempel – musician & worship planner
Marcus is a farmer, author, and speaker. He’s the author of Life at the End of Us Versus Them – Cross-Cultural Stories, and co-host of The Ferment podcast http://theferment.ca. He is employed by the Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, coordinating an initiative in Indigenous family reunification.
Harry Huebner – venue liaison
Harry retired as Professor of Philosophy and Theology at Canadian Mennonite University in 2008. He enjoys ecumenical dialogue and travelling, especially to the Middle East. He and his wife Agnes attend Charleswood Mennonite Church in Winnipeg.
Sr. Eva Solomon, CSJ – keynote speaker, worship planner
In addition to being one of our Keynote speakers, Sr. Eva also sat on the planning committee, lending us invaluable perspectives, ideas, contacts, decorations, resources, etc., and most of all, her generous friendship.
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