Panel: SODRUS: CHURCH BUILDINGS PRESERVATION OR TRANSFORMATION: INTERNATIONAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY ANALYSIS



836.1 - THE CULTURAL IDENTITY OF CHRISTIAN PLACES OF WORSHIP IN INDIGENOUS CANADA

AUTHORS:
Gélinas C. (Université de Sherbrooke ~ Sherbrooke ~ Canada)
Text:
In Canada, evangelization constituted the moral framework of policies aimed at the assimilation of Indigenous peoples, notably through the establishment of Christian places of worship on reserves in support of missionary activity. Over time, many Indigenous communities have culturally appropriated this built heritage, raising questions about the identity of these buildings today: should they be understood as Christian, Indigenous, or hybrid heritage? This, in turn, raises the question of who should bear responsibility for their preservation.