We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

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ALL WATER IS SACRED - Indigenous Creation Story

Traditional environmental knowledge (TEK) is a unique understanding about the relationship of living beings (human and non-human) with one another and with the environment. TEK represents the utilization of Indigenous practices that can be applied to institutional and leadership at all levels for the protection and stewardship of the natural world. Elder Dorothy Taylor will be sharing her traditional knowledge in a story as it relates and applies to Water.

This event was held on Monday, February 1, 2021.

Speaker bio

Dorothy Taylor is a Mississauga Ojibwe Elder from Curve Lake First Nation. She is known for her work and traditional teachings about the sacredness of water. She is asked to share traditional knowledge and ceremony within her community and various organizations throughout Peterborough and the surrounding area. She is a hand drummer and singer. Elder Dorothy Taylor is the founder of the Sacred Water Circle, inspired by traditional Indigenous teachings and leading with hope and spiritual courage, the Sacred Water Circle sees a restored relationship between human communities and water. She is a member of the Ontario Tech University, Indigenous Traditional Advisory Council. She has served as a volunteer on the Petroglyph Advisory Council of Curve Lake for 12 years. Currently, Dorothy is the Co-Chair of the local United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation sponsored through the Kawartha World Issues Centre. She lives in Curve Lake with her husband Mark and two sons.