July 15thPartnerships Making a Difference in Cross Lake
The Cross Lake residential school operated in the territory of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation from 1912 to 1969. Thirty students are known to have died during those six decades, yet this was not the end of the suffering. Generational trauma from Canada’s forced Indigenous assimilation policy carries on: in 2016 the community made national headlines when it declared a state of emergency because of an epidemic of youth suicides.
Mennonites arrived in Cross Lake in the 1950s, with Otto and Margaret Hamm starting the worshiping community that has become Living Word Church. Although Mennonite engagement in Cross Lake and other northern Indigenous communities has a complicated history (there were some Mennonite teachers at other residential schools, for instance), the Cross Lake community has welcomed Mennonites with open arms.
At a June 1 fundraiser held at Fort Garry Mennonite Fellowship, Bob Smith, former mayor of Cross Lake, described this decades-long relationship with gratitude. His son came with him to the fundraiser, symbolizing the multi-generational nature of this partnership of northern and southern communities. “The good work done by Mennonites in Cross Lake has impacted my family, and many families in Cross Lake,” Bob said.
The invitation to walk together continues to this day. Sterling Mennonite Fellowship, Fort Garry Mennonite Fellowship, Whitewater Mennonite Church, and Home Street Mennonite Church have partnered with Living Word in various ways in recent years. This summer, a group of 24 volunteers from Sterling, FGMF, and Home Street will be organizing activities for youth in Cross Lake. The music and art fundraiser at FGMF raised almost $3000 for this ministry.
At the fundraiser, Bob remarked on the meaningful connections people from southern MCM congregations make with the children and youth in Cross Lake, noting how these personal connections are vital for maintaining the hope and wellbeing of these young people. “What a difference you make for our community!”
(Photo: Laura Dyck (Whitewater) teaches beading at Cross Lake, click to enlarge)
Pray for the group of volunteers as they serve the community in Cross Lake. May strong relationships be nurtured that are beneficial to all involved. To financially support this important work, or to give to our shared Mission ministry as a regional church, see www.mennochurch.mb.ca/giving.