The Standing Stones Chapel is a place where Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples meet to explore God in an aboriginal context (specifically Cree) and in an Anglican tradition. It is located up the stairs from the entrance of the building.
The Standing Stones ceremony is a ceremony in which we come to worship Jesus infusing Cree symbols into Christian ceremony. The liturgy includes a smudge, which is a ceremony traditionally practiced by some Indigenous cultures as a means for cleansing and to create sacred space. It is sometimes described as ‘praying with smoke.’
The entrance to the chapel and the chapel itself features stained glass depicting Indigenous imagery. Descriptions of the different stained glass items may be found below.
The result of a beautiful vision of local Elders, artists, donors, and the Venerable Travis Enright, these stained glass windows were created by Edmonton artist Brenda Malkinson and installed in 2023. The colours circling the outside are the medicine wheel, and the central panels are rat root, sweetgrass, sage, and cedar. These are medicines of this land and of the First Peoples of this land - the Cree, Blackfoot, Metis, Dene, Nakota Sioux, Saulteaux, and others. They will now stand alongside other images of saints and angels and biblical scenes for generations to come.
The teachings about these medicines, and the healing they have to offer, have always been here, from the hand of the Creator. They grow just outside the door and down the hill from this church building. Too often, however, some of the minds and hearts of people in churches have not been ready or willing to learn from them, nor from the wisdom and ways of those who know the remedies and ceremonies in which these medicines play their part.
Now, as the work of justice and reparation moves ahead, there is new sight and awareness in front of us. We can finally see the need to be healed by these medicines, and by becoming relatives once again with those people who have their stories to tell. These windows, therefore, are a prayer and a goal. May God help our Diocese be worthy of displaying the hope they offer, and of living the vision they portray.
Stained Glass in the Entrance
Four Directions Teachings celebrates Indigenous oral traditions by honouring the process of listening with intent. Each colour can represent a direction. The teachings start with the East (Yellow) and continue clockwise to South (Red), West (Black or Blue), then North (White).
To feel true love is to know the Creator. Therefore, it is expected that one's first love is to be the Great Spirit, the Creator of all children, and the giver of human life. The Eagle was chosen by the Great Spirit to represent this law, as the Eagle can reach the highest out of all the creatures in bringing pure vision to the seeker.
To know truth is to know and understand all of the original laws as given by the Creator. It is said that, when the Creator made humanity and gave the seven sacred laws, the Grandmother Turtle was present to ensure that the laws would never be lost or forgotten. The shell of the Turtle represents the body of God, the real events as created by God, and serves as a reminder of the Creator's will and teachings.
The Buffalo, through giving it's life and sharing every part of its being, showed the deep respect it had for the people. No animal was more important to the existence of Indigenous families than the buffalo, and its gift provided shelter, clothing, and utensils for daily living.
Though gentle by nature, the ferociousness of a mother Bear when one of her cubs is approached is the true definition of courage. To have the mental and moral strength to overcome fears that prevent us from living our true spirit as human beings is a great challenge that must be met with the same vigour and intensity as a mother Bear protecting her cub.
The Four Point Cross is our commitment to allow Indigenous and Anglican traditions to peacefully co-exist. It is a representation of our belief that the traditions of both peoples can mingle together in harmony.