ABOUT US
EDUCATION
Walk As We recommends education on the history of this land, to prepare you to be a good friend to Indigenous peoples. This empowers non-Indigenous people to understand some of the factors affecting Indigenous people. A few resources we recommend are:
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the Kairos Blanket Exercise;
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Indigenous Canada - FREE on-line U of Alberta course; and
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Hearts Exchanged - CRCNA eight month learning cohort.
Each year, usually in October, Alphonse and Layne offer Hearts Exchanged. Contact us for more details.
On reflection, our short history has followed three steps:
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Education
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Friendship & Community
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Action
Education about the real history of this land prepares non-Indigenous people for good relationships and friendship with Indigenous people
• Indigenous Canada (online, University of Alberta)
• KAIROS Blanket Exercise
• Hearts Exchanged (CRCNA)
Friendship & Community
Walk As We is playing the long game, trusting that good relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people - friendship - will heal us over time. You are welcome to subscribe to our Good Ways Networking Circle and attend events as a way to build friendship and community.
• Attend an event if you would like to dip your toe in our community and start making friends.
• Contact us if you or your church/ organization would like more info. about the Good Ways Networking Circle.
Friendship & Community
• Good Ways Networking Circle: 25 churches and organizations
• Jesus-Centred Sharing Circle
Action
Friends share their dreams with each other. Walk As We was born from the friendships that started at the Lantern Church. Alphonse Nepoose (Samson Cree Nation), Robbie Daniels (Chiniki First Nation), Sonny & Waasigan (Treaty 4), Willy Anderson (Cross Lake First Nation), Kate Web-Harris, and Layne Kilbreath all became friends and started taking action together. So far, WAW has helped to secure almost $90,000 in grants to support grassroots Indigenous initiatives and ReconciliACTION (Thanks to the Calgary Foundation and the Presbytery of Calgary-Macleod Trinity Fund). These include: Times of Change AA Feeding the Spirit Outreach, Reconciliation Journey Walk 2024 & 2025, Neechi-Mart and Cree Nation, AMA ‘HNA ‘BINO WALKS (SoberCrew), SoberCrew Outreach, and the SoberCrew Women’s Group. Thanks to Lantern Church and St. Andrews Presbyterian, for acting as fiscal agents and making donations!
Action to support Indigenous initiatives
• SoberCrew, SoberCrew Women, AMA ‘HNA’BINO Walk
• Times of Change Outreach
• Neechi Mart @ St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (Cree Nation)
• Reconciliation Journey Walk
OUR Steering Committee:
Walk As We is grateful to the Indigenous Elders and others who lead our Steering Committee: Adrian Jacobs (Christian Reformed Church in North America), Rev. Laurie McKay (St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Calgary), Rev. Mary Fontaine (Presbyterian Church in Calnada), Rev. Tony Snow (United Church of Canada), Heather Dreise & Ezenwa Echefu.
Rev. Mary Fontaine
Rev. Laurie McKay
Rev. Tony Snow
Heather Dreise
Operational Directors:
Willy Anderson (Cross Lake First Nation) and Layne Kilbreath
Actions from friendship
Reconciliation Journey Walk
Alphonse & Layne
SoberCrew
Robbie & Layne
Prayer key chains beaded by Heather Dreise
EndorsemenT
“Walk as We” in Calgary with its vision to walk with Jesus Christ and Indigenous people, without denying their identity is good news. As a former resident of Calgary for many years, an Indigenous person was accepted as a Christian as long as you didn’t talk about your Indigenous culture or identity. Layne’s heart is there, a genuine friend of Indigenous people, listening with the heart, adopting an Indigenous worldview and open to Indigenous leadership in the ministry. His partnership with the Rev. Laurie McKay adds to the good news for an Indigenous ministry in Calgary. As the former Convenor of Hummingbird Ministries in Vancouver, Laurie is highly regarded by our Indigenous elders.
Rev. Mary Fontaine, Hummingbird Ministries Burnaby, BC