The Canadian public are again learning the truth about the Residential School System, but few are joining the dots to see how supporting Indigenous land defence and sovereignty movements like 1492 Landback Lane is a concrete response to the genocidal violence of the Residential School System – a legacy that all people on these lands called Canada must respond to.

A brief address will outline these facts, specifically looking at the responsibilities of Christian communities, followed by a series of actions. There will then be time to discuss questions that arise. Register here.

Guiding us through our thinking and action is Peter Haresnape (he/him), member of Christian Peacemaker Teams (Turtle Island Solidarity Network), Cahoots Festival organizer, currently a student and pastor of Toronto United Mennonite Church

Our beloved friend Jonathon Reed, is heading up a workshop during our Cahoots in Quarantine series geared towards youth. Join him on June 3rd for his workshop titled “When you’re hopeful, where do you put it?” You can register for the workshop here.

Here’s his description:

First priority: Reconnect with the love of the powerful young people of Cahoots, wear silly hats, say hi and share a bit about the past year plus a favourite memory from past Cahoots. Second priority: Talk about hope. Make some meaningful art inspired by the natural world and put it in the MAIL to the grassroots activists at the heart of The Wasteland Plan. Third priority: Learn to teleport.

Hello everyone! As much as we tried and prayed and hoped, we realized that we just couldn’t do an in-person Cahoots Festival this year. But never fear, we are still striving to engage with you, our beloved community.

This year we are embarking on some new online adventures. The one coming soon is our Take Action Series. The first in this series is an online workshop lead by Jesson Reyes called “Migrant Rights During The Pandemic”. Join us on May 27 @ 7pm (est).

The Migrants Rights During the Pandemic is a call to action for migrants who face health and safety risks due to their immigration status. Jesson Reyes, managing director at Migrants Resource Centre Canada, will talk to us about what MRCC and Migrants Rights Network have been doing to put pressure on the government for permanent residency status for so called “temporary foreign workers,” who stay in Canada for years and work for unfair wages in dangerous jobs. Jesson will also be talking about COVID concerns amongst migrants during the pandemic, and the overall structure of why this systemic issue exists. Canada is lucky to have migrant workers, not the other way around. Join us as we advocate for those who farm the foods that end up on our tables, take care of our children, and do more essential jobs. The workshop will contain 15 minutes of speech, 5-10 minutes of Q&A, and 25 minutes of action. 

Inspired by the crowd of people left out, left over, left behind, and gathered by God around a manger in a sleepy small town, we imagined Cahoots Christmas Leftovers, an online gathering to allow our community to connect during Christmas this year.

But wait, I’m busy at Christmas! Don’t worry, friend! Christmas is a season, not just a day! We’re meeting on Tuesday December 29, at 6:30pm (Eastern), and we hope you’ll be there!

I’ve never gone to Cahoots festival, will I feel awkward? Yes, you’ll definitely feel awkward, we’re a bunch of awkward people. It’s built in! Come be awkward with us—share some silly and profound activities. It would be a real gift—welcoming new people at Christmas is a whole stable vibe, after all.

So I don’t get it, is this a church service or a hangout? YES! We love going beyond binaries! We’ll sing some songs, pray some prayers, maybe make a craft, invite people to play a game. You can decide how and how much you participate.

How is this helpful? Sounds self-indulgent to be praying & playing while people are facing sickness & eviction. Good challenge! We resist the myth of superhero labour; that the problems of the world are the result of us not working hard enough, or caring enough. We know that many of us are burnt out and exhausted, and stuck without their usual ways of recharging. This is our way of helping bring some restful, festive power. For us, prayer produces action—and action is rooted in spiritual work. Come pray with us—whatever that means to you. And then let’s work together to change this system!

Do you have a super duper poster and maybe a registration link? you betcha! Click here to register, and then tell your friends. Can’t wait to see you.