‘The Lord laid it up on me…’

Inuvik, N.W.T.—The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) has attracted a variety of volunteers to its event for former Indian residential schools students in the Northwest Territories. They have gathered here June 27 to July 1.

There are volunteer drivers who pick up out-of-towners at the airport, volunteer drivers for golf carts that take the elderly to various venues, and volunteer servers at community feasts.

And then there are volunteers like Darelene Burden, who labour unseen in the kitchen.

A parishioner at the Anglican Church of the Ascension, Burden has been baking up a storm of cookies and scones that will be available to anyone who walks into the church this week-to have a cup of coffee or a little respite from the event that can, at times, exact a toll.

The way Burden sees it, everyone has a role to play. She said she was lucky enough to be able to get a leave of absence from her job as Inuvik’s tourism and event coordinator so she can bake batches upon batches of chocolate chip and molasses cookies, muffins and scones.

“I look at this as a time of being able to get a full apology, of forgiveness and healing,” for former students, said Burden, as she kneaded the dough for the next batch of macaroon scones. “The Lord laid it up on me to make 500 cookies.”

See video of Darelene Burden in action here.