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Alternative
service work exposed conscientious objectors to people and situations
completely foreign to them. Their work in native communities is
one example of this.
Mennonite
Pioneer Missions, now known as Native Ministries, grew directly
out of the service of conscientious objectors. Some teachers who
refused to go to war taught in northern communities for their alternative
service.
Henry Gerbrandt tells
how he got the school going in a northern Manitoba community.
This
contact brought Mennonites and Native Canadians closer to together
and inspired Mennonites to continue working in these communities
after the war.
George
Groening and his wife Nettie travelled north in 1944.
In
summer 1944 I was given a choice to return to forestry work or go
to teach on an Indian Reservation at Norway House. Seeing it as
an opportunity to broaden my experience, I opted to teach at the
Indian School. Nettie and I decided to get married so she could
join me. We were married August 13, 1944 and two weeks later we
were on our way to Norway House. I was to be the senior teacher
and Nettie would assist with children at the residential school.
Learning to know the Native people was a very good experience. I
was deeply impressed by some of their elders. The schools, however,
left much to be desired no records of previous work and no supervisor
or inspector to check up on our work. I often wished there would
have been someone to ask how to do things.
Groening
experienced a deep sense of frustration with the situation. He knew
that something needed to change.
I
was disappointed in how the organized church and the Department
of Indian Affairs viewed the Native people. They were treated like
possessions and seemingly had no say in what was done. I felt that
the Native people should have had more say about their education
and welfare system, as well as more control of the justice system.
Taking young six to eight-year-olds out of their homes for a whole
year was very painful, since these children felt extremely lonely.
These
experiences stayed with Groening even after he had finished his
CO service. A few years later, he began working with Mennonite Pioneer
Mission to improve the situation in Manitoba's native communities.
In
retrospect, I gained a deep respect and love for our Native people.
For this reason, I served as chairman of the Mennonite Pioneer Mission
Board, later known as Native Ministries Board, for 12 years. We
worked to improve teaching and health care, and at Pauingassi, helped
build new homes for the entire settlement. [ ASP , 98]
George
Groening was one of many people who made up Mennonite Pioneer Missions.
This outreach continues today under the name Native Ministries.
But
how exactly did this ministry start and what are they doing today?
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