First, a reminder. Tonight we are celebrating Native American Heritage Month with a talk by Ron Kanutski. Ron is of Ojibway and Cree roots and is from the Bear Clan. Ron Kanutski is a cultural teacher, group facilitator, comedian, and musician who is a long-term resident of Thunder Bay ON. I know Ron from my time being involved with Midwest SOARRING Foundation (Save Our Ancestors Resources and Remains Indiginous Network Group). I participated in a talking circle that Ron facilitated. He is funny, enlightening, and brilliant. I highly recommend you attend! Link further on in the enews.

So this week I've picked a word from a rather obscure (but fun!) language: Euskara, or Basque. This language is spoken in Basque Country, a region that covers adjacent parts of Spain and France. (Fun fact, it's also what's called a language isolate; it is, to the current knowledge of linguists, unrelated to any other living language. It is the only remaining language isolate in Europe, despite periods of attempted eradication by European governments, and is thought to have developed before the arrival of Indo-European languages in Europe - i.e. the Romans and friends bringing Latin, etc., with them)

You may or may not have known that the Bishops of the Northcentral Jurisdiction called for a virtual special session of the Jurisdictional Conference for Nov 10-11, 2021. Because we could not take care of ‘usual’ business without General Conference meeting first, we had the opportunity to do something different. As a result we engaged in honest conversation about the future of the Jurisdiction, and covenanted to work towards ‘becoming beloved community’ by committing to the work of anti-racism. The whole covenant is framed around our baptismal covenant.