Letter to Premier Brad Wall regarding prayer in the Saskatchewan Legislature

Letter to Premier Brad Wall regarding prayer in the Saskatchewan Legislature

Multi-Faith Saskatchewan has sent the following letter to the Premier of Saskatchewan suggesting a moment of spiritual reflection to open legislative sessions. 

 

Honorable Brad Wall

Premier, Government of Saskatchewan

Room 226

2405 Legislative Drive,

Regina, SK, Canada,

S4S 0B3

 

Dear Premier,

Multi-Faith Saskatchewan commends the Government of Saskatchewan for opening its legislative sessions with a spiritual invocation.  As the umbrella organization for world religions in Saskatchewan, we believe it is both appropriate and important for meetings of governing bodies such as the Saskatchewan Legislature to open meetings with some form of spiritual reflection.

We believe also that this moment of reflection should be respectful of and a reflection of all faiths as well as those who do not identify with any particular faith or perhaps with no faith.

Whereas it is a common practice to open meetings with a Christian prayer, we respectfully encourage you to consider other more inclusive alternatives for an opening invocation.

Before offering our suggestion for a possible opening reflection at legislative meetings, we propose another important practice that is already in use in some legislative bodies and one that will reflect the principle mentioned earlier and is truly reflective of our history and culture.

We recommend that the Saskatchewan legislature, and all other governing bodies, open meetings with an acknowledgement of the traditional territory of our First Nations peoples who lived and walked on this land that we now call home. For meetings held in Treat Four land, such as Regina and area, the acknowledgement will include the First Nations of this territory.

Multi-Faith Saskatchewan, therefore, is honored to share the language of a possible opening “acknowledgement” at legislative meetings. The statement is as follows:

As we open this meeting of this legislative body, we acknowledge that we are representing the people who elected us to this body. We acknowledge also that we are accountable to a greater power known by many names and reflected by many images. May we have wisdom, courage and patience to do what is good and right for all.

 May we act in the spirit of collaboration, humility and kindness and a belief in the equality of all people.

We acknowledge also that we are meeting on lands that our aboriginal peoples once called home. We are all treaty people and we meet on land of the Treaty Four people, including the Cree and the Salteaux Nations and honor their stewardship of the land over generations.

(Close by inviting members to a moment of silent reflection or prayer according to their own traditions).

Multi-Faith Saskatchewan is pleased to offer to you our support, Sir,  in any way you think is appropriate to consider the issue of spiritual values and public life or more specifically on the form and content of an opening reflection to open legislative proceedings reflective of the diversity of our province.

We welcome the opportunity, if you feel it is necessary or helpful, to meet with you or your representatives, to discuss how we might support you in a way that will benefit all of the people of this province.

 I look forward hearing from you.

In faith,

 

Moses Kanhai

President

1.306.586.4402

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