Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1960-1990 (Creation)
Level of description
Series
Extent and medium
15 cm of textual records
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
Mennonite Central Committee of BC
British Columbia Mennonites became active in their support of refugee relief during the 1930s. In 1940 the Provincial Mennonite Relief Committee, British Columbia (PMRC-BC) was formed. Abram A. Wiens was the director of this work from 1943-1963 having opened a clothing depot in a converted chicken barn on his property in 1944. In 1961 it became known as the Provincial Mennonite Relief and Immigration Committee (PMRIC).
In December, 1963 Mennonite Central Committee Canada was formed by representatives of various Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches. Its affiliate, Mennonite Central Committee British Columbia (MCCBC) was formed on October 24, 1964. MCC remains an active organization concerned with international development and emergency relief services in more than 50 countries world-wide, but also with local services to aboriginal people, abuse response and prevention, employment and community development, HIV/Aids education, peace education, refugee assistance and service worker placement.
Sources: Footprints of Compassion edited by Helen Lescheid et al.
Archival history
MCC Office
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Series consists of the following files:
1) Port Hardy - 1975, 1977-1982 - (1 file) Box 345
2) Siegfried Bartel, "Die Ureinwohner dieses Lande "(The Natives of this Land)" - 1979 - (1 file) Box 345
3) Aboriginal Awareness - 1974, 1977-1979, 1980, 1982 - (1 file) Box 345
4) Indian Band - 1978-1980 - (1 file) Box 345
5) Tsulquate Indian Reserve - 1980 - (1 file) Box 345
6) Indian Schools - 1980 - (1 file) Box 345
7) Indian Treatment Centres - 1960, 1976-1978 - (1 file) Box 345
8) Indian Voluntary Service Worker - 1974, 1977, 1979-1982 - (1 file) Box 345
9) Indian Land Claims - 1976-1977 - (1 file) Box 345
10) Foster Homes - 1979-1980 - (1 file) Box 345
11) Indian-Eskimo Association - 1966 - (1 file) Box 345
12) World Food Crisis - 1974, 1980, 1982 - (1 file) Box 345
13) Native Gardening - 1979-1982 - (1 file) Box 345
14) School Kits - 1976 - (1 file) Box 345
15) Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship - International Students - 1982-1983 - (1 file) Box 345
16) Correspondence - 1985-1988 - (1 file) Box 345
17) Haida Meetings - 1985-1986 - (1 file) Box 345
18) Native Concerns - 1982, 1984, 1990 - (1 file) Box 345
19) Native Concerns - News releases, 1980 & Peace Section Newsletter, 1977 - (1 file) Box 346
20) Council for the Family - "Evaluation of the BC Council for the Family", 1977-1978, Minutes, Correspondence & AGM, 1979-1980, 1991-1992 - (2 files) Box 346
21) Correspondence, 1976-1980, 1982 - (1 file) Box 346
22) Minutes, 1991-1992 - (1 file) Box 346
23) Reports - "Making Christianity Indian" by Don Fiddler, 1984; "A New Covenant, Towards the constitutional recognition and protection of Aboriginal self-government in Canada", 1987; A View of Biblical Justice" by David Ortis, 1987; Historical Perspective of the Indian Experience in Canada" 1987, " Vision of Minisrtry to the Native People" by Murray E. Phillips, "Report to BC Inter-Mennonite Native Concerns Committee" by Rick Zerbe Cornelsen, 1988; "Report to MCC BC Haida Visit", by Doreen Martens & Leona Penner, 1990; Mutual Responsibility: The tie that Binds, 1991 - (1 file) Box 346
24) Review Committee Report, 1987-1992 - (1 file) Box 346
25) Advisory Group - Correspondence, Minutes & Reports, 1988-2001 - (1 file) Box 346
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
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Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
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Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Native Concerns
MCC Native Concerns activities were first focused on the Port Hardy area on Vancouver Island namely the Kwakiutl Indians on the Tsulquate Reserve. This came about after Jake Hiebert and MCC Canada’s Menno Wiebe visited there and saw some of the needs that were apparent in that place. In 1974 the first workers, Steve and Edith Dyck, arrived there to provide a sympathetic ear and to give advice if needed. In 1979 Mary Giesbrecht came as a teacher in the Band school and others came along in the following years. During 1974 to 1987 there were 24 Voluntary Service workers in this area involved in child care, a receiving home, a foster home, Shalom House (a government group home for apprehended children), education and summer gardening ventures plus other activities.
In recent years this program has become known as “Aboriginal Neighbors” and has broadened to try to relate to aboriginal people in other parts of BC. In 2008 the Program Director was Daryl Klassen.
Sources: Footprints of Compassion edited by Helen Lescheid; MCCBC, 2008 Annual Report booklet.
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
InMagic Description ID
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Bartel, Siegfried, 1915-2016 (Subject)
- Phillips, Murray, 1944-2018 (Subject)
- Cornelsen, Rick (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Record created November 05, 2009
Record modified November 26, 2009
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Series updated January 21, 2019 LJK