Indigenous Theologies with Terry LeBlanc

During the first half of May, sessional instructor Terry LeBlanc, who is also a founding Chair and current Director of NAIITS and an elder with the Abegweit Mi’kmaw First Nation Healing Centre, taught TS 733 Indigenous Theologies, a two-week intensive course, at Conrad Grebel University College.

This Master of Theological Studies (MTS) course focused on unique Indigenous theological contributions to the meaning of Christian faith and life. The intersection of one’s experience with the Creator, the nature of the spiritual, the Gospel story, redemption, and redeemer were explored in contrasting views with Western theological methods.

Some highlights of the course included giving thanks to the land, connecting with the trees, and participating in the sacred smudging ceremony led by LeBlanc. "We were asked to take ourselves into creation and appreciate the wisdom of the surrounding landscape,” shared MTS student Cynthia Breadner. "’Talk to the trees,’ we were told. Do not thank God for the trees, talk to them, and have a conversation. It was a beautiful experience as I felt the trees heard me and were not simply a product or result of God's creation but a piece of it deeply and ephemerally."  

LeBlanc invited two speakers to the classroom: Adrian Jacobs, an Elder Liaison for the NAIITS Elders Circle and a Senior Leader for Indigenous Justice and Reconciliation for the Christian Reformed Church in North America in Canada, as well as David Skene, a PhD student, an urban Métis farmer, and the co-Executive Director for White Owl Native Ancestry Association, where he focuses on Land-based education.

"The unique and novel insights in the reading materials, the professor's and guest speakers' wisdom, and the heated in-class discussion from our peers enriched my learning experience, which was absolutely transformative,” reflected MTS student Summer Wu. “Every day, I came to class with excitement and a hunger for knowledge, and returned home with a fully loaded head, ready to comprehend and reflect. I was challenged, surprised, and illuminated every day, and felt totally renewed at the end of the week."