The hall of the Anglican church at 925 Balmoral St. will host a public conference April 26 and 27 called Singing a New Song: Creating a Renewed Relationship with First Nations.
Rev. Larry Scyner, priest in charge at St. John the Divine, said the conference aims to inspire and educate the community about the human-rights issues associated with native peoples in Canada.
Scyner said ultimately, it’s hoped the conference can help build a better understanding of native issues in Canada. It will also help build on the publicity of the various protests and demonstrations in the Idle No More campaign.
“In a sense, it seemed like an opportune time,” Scyner said. “We thought it was an opportunity to get some good grounding on what the issues are.”
The conference will feature leading experts on aboriginal issues in Canada: Prof. John Borrows, a professor of law with special expertise in native law, formerly of the University of Victoria and now at the University of Minnesota; Robert Morales, chief negotiator for the Vancouver Island Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group; Val Napoleon, a UVic law professor; Ana Maria Peredo, director of the UVic Centre for Co-operative and Community-Based Economy; Glen Coulthard, assistant professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of B.C.; and Heidi Stark, a UVic assistant professor of political science.
Conference fees are $15. For more information, call 250-383-7169 or go to stjohnthedivine.bc.ca.
— Richard Watts
