Healing the Land in Kangirsujuaq, Nunavik -- Part 3
Cleansing the Land at the site of a Murder on March 18, 2018
We will now describe some of the ceremonies that took place
at specific sites in and around the community of Kangirsujuaq between October
10 and 17, 2018. Back on March 18, 2018,
the brutal murder of a young man took place in this community. The elders told us about this and also a
suicide that took place in the community a couple of days later. Some of the elders were related to the
deceased in both cases, so when this as well as other bad things were happening
all at once, the community leaders decided to call the Canada Awakening Healing the Land
Team to come to Kangirsujuaq to deal with some of the root issues, and
so at the end of March, a date was set for October 10 to 17 in order to bring a healing the land team into the
community.
The first site that we visited on Friday morning of
October 12 was the exact site where the vicious murder had taken place on March
18, 2018. In a community of 850 like
Kangirsujuaq, whenever a murder takes place, a good per centage of people in
the community are related to either the
family of the victim, or the
family of the accused, or both, so this puts a very great strain on
community relationships.
On this occasion, we reminded the people that whenever
innocent blood is shed, that blood cries out from the ground for justice and
revenge. Genesis 4:10. The only thing that can cleanse that
defilement is an application of the blood of Jesus by faith, since this is the only innocent blood that speaks of
better things than that of Abel’s blood. Hebrews 12:24.
So we applied by power of the blood of Jesus, and
anointed the land with water
(speaking of the washing of water by the Word),
with oil, speaking of the Holy Spirit, and with salt, speaking of the God’s children whom Jesus likened
to the salt of the earth that acts like a preservative agent against
contaminating and corrupting influences that have defiled the land.
The victory of the blood of Jesus over the accuser of
the brethren was a “once and for all
victory” that never needs to be repeated, and yet it is an eternal God
event that can be visited at any point in time as if it was happening right
then! The blood will never lose its
power or be a fading memory!
As we were praying, a lady by the name of Jessica in
our group from the community, saw an clear vision of an open heaven, and the
blood of Jesus Christ was being poured out as if it were happening right then
and there. This was so real to her, and
she was so passionate in sharing it, that it gave an understanding of what was
happening in the spirit world right then and there, even as the Word of God was
being declared which is in agreement with the Spirit of God.
This vision resonated deeply with everyone present, and
the ceremony ended with a shout of joy and a strong sense that both the land
had been cleansed, and that the atmosphere had shifted from one of fear and
accusation to one of joy and freedom, and an awareness that this part of the
earth belonged to the Creator God who had both created it and redeemed it by
the blood of His Son. This part of the
earth was being prepared to be a habitation for the Lord’s Presence, a part of
the earth where He could rest and abide in as a place for His Dwelling, His
Resting Place, His Temple connecting heaven and earth.
Cleansing the Land at the Lake Near the Community
The next site that we went to pray at was at the lake
which is close by Kangirsujuaq, and is the souce from which the community gets its fresh water
supply. However, as Mayor Charlie Arngak
explained to the group who had gathered, the spot on which we were standing was
a site in which a number of untimely deaths had occurred. There had been boating accidents, drownings
and suicides, etc.
Some people might believe that this area was under a
curse, but as it was pointed out, this was part of God’s good earth, and is
destined to be a part of His Holy Temple which will fill heaven and earth! It was also pointed out that the power of
blessing is far greater than any power of cursing, and that we were there this
day to bless the land and the water, and again we applied the power of the
blood of Jesus that this land and water would be a continual blessing to the community.
The land was given back to God for His Kingdom
purposes, and was anointed with water,
oil and salt. Once again, a released was felt in the spirit
realm, with the spiritual and the natural coming toglether, and there was
once again a shout of joy!
Healing the Land at the Site of the Roman Catholic Mission
(which is now a Museum)
This was not an initiative to bring out old skeletons,
or to hold the wrongs of past generations against them. It was rather an initiative to release past
wrongs, and to let them go, so that the next generations could be free from the
sexual abuse and promiscuity that was allowed in during a previous
generation. The elders who were hurt or
violated at this site wanted more than anything for future generations to not
keep living like the past, and to release forgiveness on this very spot!
It was also acknowledged by the elders that much good
had also been brought to the community through the Roman Catholic
missionaries. Their influence had
certainly not been all bad. We were
there to separate what was precious
from what was worthless in the past,
and to let the worthless burn up, but
to build upon that which was precious
and valuable.
Prayer was also made against denominational divisions,
and the fear motive that the denominational leaders had often appealed to that
brought confusion to the Inuit. The
leaders of one church denomination would say that the people from the other
denomination were going to hell, so have nothing to do with them, but rather
attend our denomination so that you will go to heaven. This was a serious misrepresention of God,
and of His Father heart for all.
Today, the Roman Catholic building has been closed
down, and no longer meets as a congregation, although the building is being
used as a museum. There is still an
Anglican minister in town, but she meets frequently with Annie Tertiluk, and it
is not as if there is a unity around the Full Gospel Church, but there is a
unity of the Spirit among believers in Kangirsujuaq today that is not based
upon a denominational affiliation, but around the Headship of Christ and the moving
of His Spirit!
Again, one could truly sense a shift in the atmosphere
when the blood of Jesus was applied, and the Holy Spirit welcomed as the land
was anointed and cleansed, and the united voice of victory was released!
Healing the Land at the Old Co-op Store
At the site of he old Co-op Store, the deputy mayor, Qiallak Qumaaluk, made us aware that this building had had a reputation for being a kind of spooky place for a number of years. People testify to having seen apparitions of a presence of evil in this place, and that it had terrified people with fear.
On the picture above, one can see that even in the space before the entrance into the doorway, that the ground has sunken somewhat so that there needed to be a wooden platform in order to enter the building. Underneath this wooden platform, there was also another wooden platform that had also sunken into the ground, so there were essentially two layers of wooden platforms, one on top of the other.
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A Cleansing Ceremony at Akulivik, A Traditional Hunting and Fishing Area Near to Kangirsujuaq
On Tuesday, October 16, 2018, the Canada Awakening Healing the Land Team went with a group of some 25 or 30 people to Akulivik, a site around 20 minutes away from Kangiqsujuaq, Nunavik, where the families of this Inuit community have built cabins on their traditional hunting grounds where they can go to hunt, to fish and to rest. In more recent times, however, it is a place that has not been so peaceful, as there have increasingly been drunken parties that lead to dissipation and disruption.
Those that attended this ceremony on the land included community leaders from Kangiqsujuaq, such as the mayor, deputy mayor, municipal council members, school vice-principal, social workers, elders and church leaders. There were even some social workers from southern Quebec and from other communities who were not necessarily believers or church goers, but who wanted to watch and to observe the ceremony.
I made it clear that the body of Jesus was offered on the altar once and for all, so that when we build an altar today, we are simply enforcing the victory of the cross, not adding at all to Christ's finished work which was completed once and for all.
So right at this traditional site, we set up an altar as a memorial to enforce this victory in the realm of the spirit, and to renew allegiance to the supremacy of the God of heaven who is also the God of the land, but He can only fill it corporately with His love when there is a welcome and an invitation by the people who live there.and
that the people why live in this part of the earth are not to be dominated or
ruled by a sensed of forboding evil, but rather they are to cleanse this part
of the earth, and to welcome the Holy Spirit to fill this place with peace and
joy.
So as one of the gatekeepers and civil authorities in
this part of the earth, this is what the deputy mayor did, recognizing that she
and the other saints in this community are seated with Christ in the heavenly
realm, far above all principality, power, rule and authority in the spirit
realm. Again, there was a release of joy
and freedom with the Word and the Spirit coming together as the Word of
God was acted upon.
After the ceremony, deputy mayor Qiallak Qumaaluk told
me that she just remembered that she had had a vision years ago that the day
would come when she would do a spiritual cleansing of this place along with a “qallunaat”, a “non-Inuit,” and she suddenly realized that this vision had just
been fulfilled that very day!
I pointed out that God gave to Abraham and his
descendants after him a land to inherit, just like the forefathers of every
nation had been given a territory by God when He scattered the nations over all
the face of the earth. Acts 17 tells us
that men and women were to seek God from within the boundaries of their own
habitation and territory, and find Him from within their own boundaries,
because He is not far from every one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our
breath.
An Inukshuk shaped like a Memorial or an Altar has
also been erected near Kangirsujuaq, which is a symbol of those in previous
generations who called out to the spirit world for wisdom and direction. Some of the ancient shamans were true
prophets of God who called upon the Lord, and prepared the way for the coming
of the gospel into their part of the earth.
Even before the nations of the earth turned to the worshiping of idols,
there was knowledge about the one Creator even prior to that. It is to the true knowledge of God and of His
Holy Spirit that the Inuit are now returning to an ancient path.
In the ancient world, Abraham did three things
everywhere that he sojourned as a nomadic person, much like the Inuit were in
their traditional way of life.
1. First, he
built an altar where he worshiped God, and called upon the Name of the Lord.
By doing this, he was putting GOD FIRST
everywhere that he went. Some of the Inukshuks that the Inuit made were also
shaped like altars where deities and spiritual powers were acknowledged for
wisdom and for direction. Some of the
shamans were monotheists, and were true prophets, preparing the way for the
gospel to transform hearts through the knowledge of the ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD who saves,
heals and delivers.
2. Second,
Abraham pitched his tent. By
this, he was providing a safe place for his FAMILY where his wife and children
would be protected and safely settled.
3. Third, he
dug a well. This was primarily for his business, so that he could water
his cattle and flocks and herds, and so that his family could be provided for.
When Abraham put God first, his family was protected and safe, even though he was surrounded by enemies who in the natural
could easily have wiped his family out. Furthermore,
his business prospered and supported
his family and his servants so that there was no lack, and he did not
need to rely on other governments or earthly kings such as the king of Sodom as
a source of finance or income. Genesis 14:21-24. Furthermore, he paid tithes to
Melchizedek who blessed Abraham whose God was the Possessor of heaven and earth
who had delivered his enemies into his hand. Gen 14:18-20.
Today, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the principalities, the powers, the spiritual rulers and authorities of
the kingdom of darkness which keep people blinded to the truth as it has been
revealed by the Creator in His Son. It
is the spiritual powers of darkness that deceive both rulers and people in such
a way that will keep them in bondage instead of their coming into the freedom
of the Spirit to worship the Father freely and whole-heartedly.
The resident of Kangirsujuaq who was the first
believer in Jesus in the community then prayed a powerful prayer to give this
land back to God, because it is His, not only as the Creator and Possessor of
heaven and earth, but as the One who has redeemed the land with the blood of
His Son. That blood, unlike Abel's
blood, cries out for forgiveness and cleansing for every sin that has been
committed on the land, but that blood needs to be applied by faith as a
cleansing agent.
When a people put God first, He will protect their
families and the children will follow in the ancient paths where there is rest
(Jeremiah 6:16), and the true faith of their fathers, and the businesses and the
economy will prosper when God is honored.
This respected elder, along with Mayor Charlie Arngak
and Pastor Annie Tertiluk, in the presence of God and witnesses, then poured
out water mixed with oil and salt on to the top of the altar. Water
represents the washing of water by the Word,
the oil represents the Holy Spirit, and the salt represents the children of God who are the salt of the earth, and a
preservative agent against corruption and defilement.
A great shout of victory and of joy was then released.
There was a shift in the atmosphere to one of joy and gladness, and confidence
that this land belongs to God, and that He had given the authority to the local
gatekeepers to fill the land with His presence, and to give no place to the
spiritual powers of darkness to rule thoughts and emotions with fear, with guilt,
with condemnation or shame, but rather to walk in the light in which there is
no fear, shame, guilt or condemnation!
During this ceremony, there was a circular sun dog that emerged, and the light broke out into the seven colors of the rainbow which were brighter than what this photograph can convey. The rainbow speaks of God's promise to never again allow the earth to be destroyed. The rainbow is God's covenant promise that while the earth remains, there will always be seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease. Genesis 8:22.
After the ceremony, one of the social workers present
who was from the southern part of Quebec stated that while he was not a
believer, he could see the positive influence that the church was making on the
community of Kangirsujuaq, and that people like Mark and Annie Tertiluk, who
used to be alcoholics themselves in the early days, were now a stabilizing influence
in the community, and were making a huge contribution for the wellness of the
community as a whole.
At least two people who came early for the Suicide
Prevention Conference which was to take place in Kangirujuaq the
following week (our friend Ray Tororewa from New Zealand being one of those who
would participate) witnessed this ceremony where the altar was erected. One man was from Iqaluit, Nunaavut, and the
other was from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, and they were invited to join us by the local
gatekeepers—the mayor, municipal council members, spiritual leaders and
elders. During the ceremony, it was
publicly acknowledged that these people who came for the Suicide Prevention Conference
were our allies in continuing this same process, as this was also an event
where civic organizations and the church were flowing together contending for
the wellness of the northern communities of Nunavik.
As this picture which
was taken during the “healing the land”
week in Kangirsujuaq illustrates, as the clouds break open which represent the
veil over our eyes that prevent us from seeing Jesus as the King of kings and
Lord of lords, the Glory of the Lord will shine with every greater light and
illumination on the community of Kangirsujuaq, and on other northern
communities, from one degree of glory to another, with ever increasing glory as
His presence is welcomed and invited!
New Local Police
Officer is Welcomed by Kangirsujuaq Elders as Shooting of Dogs Issue is
Addressed
On October 16, 2018,
forgiveness was released by the mayor, the deputy mayor, the community elders,
and the spiritual leaders of Kangiqsujuaq, Nunavik toward the new police
officer from southern Quebec, who had only been in Kangiqsujuaq for a week. He was unaware that the reason why there is
often an invisible wall between the police and the people who live in northern
communities such as Kangirsujuaq is because back in the 1960's, the Government
of Canada ordered the police to shoot all of the dogs in order to
keep the people in the community.
At that time, dogs were the
main means of transportation that allowed the men to get out onto the land to
hunt. The intent and the rationale was to keep the Inuit men in the community
and not to travel out on the land where the government could not keep tract of
them. They wanted to keep the Inuit in the communities instead of to continue a
nomadic lifestyle where and when they traveled in smaller clans.
The result of this policy, however, was that with the men now staying in
the communities with little to do, and no motivation to continue their
traditional way of life, most of these men turned to alcohol, and this meant
many homes had fathers who were either emotionally absent or drunk most of the
time. This led to the neglect and abuse
of children, which in turn led to a high suicide rate among the Youth.
So we addressed this root issue head-on, and brought it to the light of
the new police officer. The policeman expressed that while he was not even
aware of this issue, that he was deeply sorry for what had happened, and wanted
that invisible wall between him and community members removed.
The mayor, the deputy mayor and the elders had already made the decision
to forgive, but on October 16, they did it publicly, right before the local
police officer, and he was deeply touched and moved by that, and expressed his
desire to have good community relationships so that the different spheres of
the community--the police, the schools and the social workers, etc., could flow
together in peace and life for the well-being of the community in the future.
Here you will see the Kangirsujuaq policeman hugging the mayor and other
community leaders, symbolizing their heart’s desire to see the invisible
spiritual wall of mistrust that separated the Inuit from the police to be
completely REMOVED.
Let
joy ring out! Let the praise
continue! May God’s Name continually be exalted,
lifted up and praised from glory to glory in Kangirsujuaq, in Nunavik, and in
every tribe and nation on the face of the earth! Amen!
Addenda
Less than two weeks after the Canada Awakening Healing the Land Team left Kangirsujuaq, on October 18, 2018, Roger Armbruster received this Facebook message from Pastor Annie Tertiluk.
"Hello Roger,
"Look at this! These are walruses that my son-in-law took a picture of this afternoon (October 29). This is not far from Kangirsujuaq. It is just down the pathway out of Kangirsujuaq.
"I have never seen or heard anything like this since I have moved here in 1964. Not even my husband or big brother has heard anything like this.
"My son-in-law says that they are all of the way up to 50 miles--a lot and lot of walruses. We only see seagulls on that island when we pass by.
"My husband just told me when we were doing the healing the land, he had in mind like, 'I wonder what and how many animals will show up?' Amen!!!! We are so blessed!
"Annie Tertiluk"
Roger and Marge Armbruster are bridge-builders and advocates of reconciliation and social justice between people groups and cultures. They both minister cross-culturally -- Marge by teaching English to new immigrants in rural southern Manitoba, and Roger by helping to build relationships between various indigenous groups who understand the connection that there is between people and land, with a special focus on the Inuit of Canada's North.
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