November, 2019 Full Moon Walk in High Park

THPS and the High Park Nature Centre are presenting our November Full Moon Nature Walk with Carolynne Crawley

Saturday, November 9th, 3-6pm. Gather in the garden south of the Nature Centre, 375 Colborne Lodge Drive (see map on poster below).

Carolynne Crawley is a Mi’kmaw woman with African and Celtic ancestry and a forest therapy trainer and mentor. Crawley leads workshops in relationship building to develop and strengthen healthy, reciprocal relationships based upon Indigenous teachings that decolonize existing interactions with the Land. Her work includes facilitating the Kairos Blanket Exercise which educates settler peoples about the history of Land theft and genocide of Indigenous peoples. Crawley is passionate about her community work, which focuses on sharing teachings from the Land, knowledge of traditional skills such as harvesting foods and medicines, food justice (accessing healthy affordable foods) and relationship with self, others and the Land.

We will have an opening ceremony around a sacred fire with Donna Powless (Cayuga, Six Nations), Catherine Coming Day Tammaro (Wyandot Faithkeeper) and Joce Two-Crows Tremblay (Great Lakes métis), a guided nature engagement with Carolynne Crawley (Mi’kmaw with African and Celtic ancestry) followed by a poetic creative activity and corn husk doll making. We will then feast and have a closing with drumming and song.

Phragmites is a “bio-mediator”

October Full Moon Walk

Catherine Coming Day Tammaro (Wendat) led us on the Full Moon Event for October. Under a brilliant canopy of golden orange leaves, Tammaro gave teachings on the Autumnal time when the veil between the spirit world and the material world are thin. Special guest Elder from Thunder Bay, Ma-Nee Chacoby (Anishinaabe) from also spoke about the importance of Love as an expression of Gichi-Manidoo (Great Spirit) .

Joce Two-Crows Tremblay then took us on a wonder wander to find acorns, leaves, and whatever else that we could work with for the Ancestral Circles art activity guided by Tammaro. Donna Powless also showed us how to make corn husk dolls out of husks from the corn that was planted in the three sisters gardens stewarded by Two-Crows Tremblay as part of their Indigenous Land Sovereignty practice,  as well as white corn from Six Nations. And then we feasted on squash soup, corn and avocado salad and bannock.

Thanks to Jon, Jenny and Sam from the Nature Centre, and all the volunteers.

High Park Silent Action

THPS has been working with a coalition of Indigenous activists and cultural workers to organize an Indigenous Land Sovereignty Circle. The Circle will advocate and organize for Righting Relations, No More Glyphosate in High Park (or anywhere), Consultation with Indigenous Peoples on their Lands and Stewardship. This is our first public action. Indigenous women and 2-Spirit peoples will be prioritized. All allies welcome!

The waters of High Park’s Grenadier Pond, and the surrounding lands are in need of healing.

Recent efforts to remove phragmites a nonnative tall grass species around the pond’s edge have relied on glyphosate (a.k.a. Monsanto-Bayer’s Roundup). These chemicals are toxic to plants, animals, birds, insects, and to the lands and waters. They are also toxic to the people who work with them.

It is time to say NO to chemical management and YES to Indigenous Stewardship.

On October 13, 2019, join Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers, and community leaders in a Silent Action to bring ceremony and healing to the lands and waters.

We gather at 1 p.m. at the waters edge (see large red dot on map at the edge of Grenadier Pond) to share knowledge about land stewardship and the problems with chemical management while we make art for the silent action

At 2:30 p.m. we begin a ceremony to honour the lands, waters, and all relations.

At 3:00 p.m. we begin a Silent Action, holding hands around the pond.

**Please contact us at indigenouslandstewardshipTO@gmail.com if you would like to support this action, through donations of art materials, or other forms of support.

 

October Full Moon Event

Next Full Moon Walk – October 12th at 3pm. Meet at the Nature Centre. Catherine Coming Day Tammaro will be leading this walk and doing a Ancestral Wreath making activity responding to the Autumn season as a time of connection to the ancestors. Donna Powless will guide us in the making of corn husk dolls working with husks from sacred ancestral corn grown by Joce Two-Crows Tremblay in the Nature Centre Three Sisters garden, as well as others around Tkoronto.
This event centers Indigenous peoples. Allies welcome!

September Full Moon event in High Park

Septembers Indigenous led Full Moon walk was led by Vivian Recollet. Joce Two-Crows Tremblay harvested ancestral corn from the Three Sisters garden planted earlier in the Summer. Vivian Recollet led us in song and teachings about water. Donna Powless gave a Cayuga language teaching on the colors.

September Full Moon Walk in High Park

Join us for a Full Moon Nature Walk and water teachings with Vivian Recollet. We are honored to share space with Recollet who is an Anishinaabe Grandmother and is Turtle Clan from Wikwemikong unceded territory located on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. She sits on the Grandmothers circle for the Great Lakes Water Walk.

Joce Two Crows Tremblay and Donna Powless from THPS doing Sacred Fire, art activities, drumming and song. Feast provided by Ojibiikens.

Saturday, Sept 14th from 3-6pm. Meet at the Nature Centre, 375 Colborne Lodge Drive.