Issues With The Banner Part 4 - “Polishing the Covenant Chain”

Wherein the Banner refers to Canadians not descended from indigenous tribes as "settlers"

As explained in my introductory post, I have been slowly going through the March 2023 issue of the Banner and pointing out articles I have concerns with. I’ve been doing this not because I particularly enjoy criticizing the Banner, but because I’m trying to illustrate what I see as the wide-spread nature of the publication’s failings and the sometimes subtle ways concerning and unorthodox views are expressed in its pages.

In one issue, a total of nine articles quickly jumped out at me as expressing questionable beliefs. Below is the fourth of those articles.

“Polishing the Covenant Chain” by Victoria Veenstra

This article, like so many in the Banner, seems to lack focus and misses whatever point it should be making. Ostensibly, it's an introduction of Adrian Jacobs the CRC's new senior leader for Indigenous Justice and reconciliation in Canada. One would think that an introductory write-up of this new leader by the CRC's magazine of record would be focused on an explanation of Mr. Jacobs' job duties, his specific goals for his ministry, and details about his vision. Other than cursorily informing the readers that Jacobs will be meeting with churches and pastors, conducting KAIROS Blanket Exercises, and developing the Hearts Exchanged program, the writer gives no clear explanation of what Jacobs will be doing and how members of the CRC will be able to judge whether he is accomplishing the purpose of his position.

Rather, the article spends paragraphs describing in detail and giving the history of the two-row wampum treaty belt. It doesn’t provide actionable information, it doesn’t talk about theology, it doesn’t give details about what the treaty between the Haudenosaunee and Dutch traders in 1613 was, it doesn’t explain what is the Christian Reformed Church’s association with the Dutch traders, the Haudenosaunee, or the treaty. My impression is it is assumed that because a lot of Dutch people are members of the CRC that somehow the CRC has some kind of responsibility related to this treaty, but that’s not a given, and it's not fleshed out in the article. A writer worth their salt would give that background.

The article ends with a final plug for the activities of Jacobs and states, “Cultivating better relationships between settlers and Canadian Indigenous people (not just the Haudenosaunee) is a key priority for the CRCNA in Canada. Over the past few years, more than 400 people have participated in a program called Hearts Exchanged to learn about Indigenous people and take action to restore right relationships with them. In addition, the denomination supports three urban Indigenous centers across the country.”

It seems odd that the Banner would be implying that modern-day Canadians are “settlers”, and one could actually view that as quite inflammatory language. While this article was written prior to the casus belli attack by Hamas against Israel on 10/07/2023, we have now seen how the characterization of Israelis as "settlers" has been used to justify horrifyingly violent and inhumane terroristic acts against civilians, both Jewish and not, in Israel. In the wake of that attack, it is also not difficult to find examples of BLM supporters using similar language to show support or hope for similar actions against white people in America. Prior to the terrorist attack of 10/07/2023, I merely found such language distasteful, but now, having seen how terrorists and terrorist sympathizers have run with it since Hamas’ attack against Israel, I am concerned that buying into the framing of people as “settlers” will actually end up resulting in further violence against innocent people, so it is doubly concerning to see a purportedly Christian publication utilizing such language.

It’s also odd that, as described in the article, only non-indigenous people seem to be participating in the Hearts Exchanged program and taking action to restore right relationships with the indigenous people, but the article never really talks about what actions indigenous people are taking to show acceptance of and foster right relationships with the “settlers”. I would think a more spiritually and religiously minded article would wrestle with the practicalities of the actions both groups could take to foster good relationships with each other and further their joint focus on God. Instead, it is an empty article with no discernible religious value, an article that devolves into racist-ly labeling non-indigenous Canadians “settlers” even though most of the people being referenced are probably native-born Canadians whose families have been there for generations.

I would be interested in learning in what way this article demonstrates the fruits of the spirit or provides any sort of spiritual or intellectual value to the people who read it. I would also like to know if the CRCNA officially endorses referring to modern Canadian citizens as "settlers".