Jolene Peters Reconcile. Everyday Conversations

“You have to be open to it. You might not want to listen or hear what someone has to say that has a different belief system…. God calls us to love everyone, to listen to their stories. This is what have gotten me started and motivated.”

Jolene Peters lives intentionally in her Saskatoon neighbourhood as a part-time hair stylist, part-time nanny, full-time mom and wife. Jolene is from the Mistawsis band and grew up in a Mennonite family as a foster child. Jolene and her family are very involved at their church, House for All Nations.

In our conversation with Jolene she spoke about how the birth of her daughter propelled her to explore her Indigenous heritage and navigate how to reconcile Indigenous spirituality with her Christian faith. She spoke passionately about her desire that her daughter grow up to be a proud Indigenous person.

Ben Borne and I invited Jolene to have a conversation around these five questions:

1. What is your personal understanding of reconciliation?

2. What experiences have led you to this understanding?

3. Why do you feel reconciliation is important?

4. Does forgiveness have a role in reconciliation? Why or why not?

5. How would you invite people into the reconciliation journey?

Then we recorded her reflections.

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Additional resources to explore:

Office of the Treaty Commissioner events

Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan

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Reconcile: Everyday Conversations is a project of Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan aimed at facilitating conversations among settler/non-Indigenous Canadians around our role in reconciliation. We thank Mennonite Church Saskatchewan for additional funding support.

Project Coordinator: Heather Peters

Co-host: Ben Borne
Recording and Editing: Matthew Hildebrandt
Music by Queen Queen Josephine