The Canadian Baptists of Western Canada (CBWC) is hosting a conference titled "First Steps: On the Road to Indigenous Reconciliiation".

The conference takes place next weekend, March 3-4, at the Willowlake Baptist Church in Winnipeg.

On Friday, there will be a blanket exercise, where the history of Indigenous peoples will be discussed.

Mark Doerksen says that when it comes to indigenous history, there is a lot of confusion with how to relate faith with these issues. "What we are hoping to do is to come with open hearts and minds," he said. "Hopefully we can figure out the things we need to figure out, and hear the stories that we need to hear. So in that sense, it is our first steps."

On Saturday, there are four presenters. Howard Jolly, a local pastor, will be speaking about his journey with contextualization. Sheila North Wilson, the Grand Chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), will be speaking about the legacy and impact of residential schools. Baptist pastor Jodi Spargur will be speaking about the Truth and Reconciliation commission, as well as the United Nations' Declaration of Right for Indigenous People. The final speaker is Steve Heinrichs of Mennonite Church Canada, and he will speak about the indigenous issues that have been discussed within Mennonite Church Canada.

You can still register for this conference at cwbc.ca, or send an email to heartland@cbwc.ca