Building The Fire

06/18/2026

Looking for a fun land-based activity to do this Saturday? 🌿

Join Atlohsa and Chase Nethercott for an Indigenous-led edible and medicinal scavenger hunt focused on learning about the land and the gifts that it provides!

⏰ 10AM to 2PM | Saturday, June 20th
📍 550 Wellington Road, Building J (behind Wiigiwaaminaan Lodge)
🍴 Food and drinks provided
📩 Contact [email protected] / 548-388-8403 with any questions

(Note: be punctual; maximum of 20 participants!)

06/17/2026

If you are looking for a way to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples Day this year, Tillsonburg is having their second annual event!

Or catch Dr. Cody Groats book launch at Commonplace Bookstore in Ingersoll in the afternoon.

Also check out what Two Row Creeations is doing

If your Sunday is already packed, but you wanted to do something to honor the day you can join us on Monday morning in Ingersolls Victoria Park for Sunrise Ceremony with Elder Mary Lou Smoke

06/15/2026

1 week away! 🪶🧡☀️
See you there!

Join us for a Sunrise Ceremony in Victoria Park on Monday, June 22nd, 2026, to honour National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Through the efforts of the Ingersoll Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and supported by the Town of Ingersoll Council, this event invites our community to come together to welcome the day and honour the rich history, culture, and resilience of Indigenous peoples.

Elder Mary Lou Smoke will lead the ceremony, gathering at 6:30 a.m. with the ceremony to commence at 7:00 a.m. We hope to see you there for a morning of reflection and respect. All are welcome.

06/15/2026

In honour of both Pride Month and Indigenous History Month, we're excited to announce our Two-Spirit Pride Shirt Design Contest! 🏳️‍🌈🦅

Open to 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous youth (up to age 30) in/from London or surrounding communities. Winning design will be celebrated on social media, provided a small honorarium, and will be worn by Atlohsa staff during London’s pride celebrations in July (as London Pride is in July rather than in June).

Your design can represent whatever Two-Spirit Pride means to you.

⏰ Deadline to submit designs is Friday, July 3rd
📩 Submit your designs via email to [email protected] (please ensure your files are either PNG or JPEG format, and are sent in high quality)
🎨 Open to any art forms, so long as it can be printed on a shirt!

When submitting your design via email, please note your name, your Indigenous community, your age, and anything you'd like to share about your design. Please ensure that all elements of your design are designed by you (or are copyright free, if your graphic design incorporates other elements). Designs generated by AI will not be considered.

We look forward to seeing the designs of the talented 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous youth in our community! 🩵

06/10/2026

We are deeply disturbed by the recent acts of vandalism and destruction of pride flags, along with the historical violence targeting q***r folx in our neighboring town of Norwich. These actions do not just damage property; they are direct attempts to diminish the safety, dignity, and visibility of people we love. To deface a symbol of pride is an attempt to dim the unique reflection of the Creator’s diversity in this world.

Every single person carries a divine spark, and our 2SLGBTQIA+ relatives hold a deeply valued, sacred place within our circles. Spiritually, we remind ourselves that every soul is intentionally placed here by the Creator, carrying an inherent birthright to exist fully, beautifully, and safely. Our Two-Spirit and q***r relatives have always held sacred roles within our communities—as leaders, warriors, healers, gift-bearers, keepers of balance, and vital threads in the blanket of our identity. As community members and Treaty partners, we carry a collective responsibility to protect one another—especially those who are being targeted by cycles of misunderstanding, shame, and hatred.

​What intensifies this pain and outrage is that these recent acts of targeted violence and discrimination have been deliberately aimed at spaces intended for children. Schools and community areas that should be sanctuaries of learning, play, and absolute safety have instead been turned into targets for adult hostility.
​At the absolute very least, people must respect safe places for children. No personal grievance, political division, or adult worldview justifies destroying property on school premises or poisoning the environments where our young people grow.

​To the children who have been harmed by these events—both directly by witnessing this destruction at your schools, and indirectly by feeling the heavy, unsettling shift in your community’s safety—we are profoundly sorry. You carry no blame for this. You deserve to walk into your schools feeling entirely celebrated, safe, and free from the anxieties of the adult world. It is time for the adults to stop this harmful nonsense, put aside their divisions, and remember our baseline obligation to protect the next generation. It is time to start living with love.

​True community safety cannot be built on silence or turning a blind eye. We are all one people living under the same stars, bound together by spiritual accountability to one another. What harms one of us ripples out and impacts the spiritual wellness of the entire whole. We cannot allow fear or hatred to cloud our judgment or pollute our ability to care for the collective.

​Let us dismantle the shadows of hate with the warmth of unity. Let us choose love, active protection, and fierce advocacy for our most vulnerable. This is how we heal, this is how we protect, and this is how we walk in a good way toward the 8th Fire.

🔥❤️​🤝

​If you or someone you love is struggling, feeling isolated, or experiencing distress because of these recent events, please know you do not have to carry this heavy weight alone. Lean into these safe, confidential spaces for support:

​Hope for Wellness Helpline: 24/7 culturally competent mental health counseling and immediate crisis intervention for all Indigenous peoples across Canada. Call 1-855-242-3310 or chat online at hopeforwellness.ca.

​2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations: Providing cultural support, advocacy, and a safe community space for Two-Spirit and Indigenous 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in Ontario. Reach them at 2spirits.com or call 416-944-9300.

​Talk 4 Healing: 24/7 culturally grounded helpline, support, and counseling available in multiple Indigenous languages for Indigenous women and families across Ontario. Call or text 1-877-200-9997.

​Reach Out Line (Oxford, Elgin, Middlesex, London): 24/7 confidential mental health, addiction, and crisis support. Call or text 519-433-2023 or toll-free 1-866-933-2023.

​LGBT Youth Line (Ontario): Confidential, non-judgmental peer support for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth under 26. Text 647-694-4275 (Available Sunday to Friday, 4:00 PM – 9:30 PM).

​Trans Lifeline: Full peer support hotline run by and for trans and gender-diverse individuals. Call 1-877-330-6366.

​Oxford County Trans Clinic (Ingersoll Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic): Local, specialized clinical care and support for gender-diverse community members. Reach out at 519-926-6752 or visit ingersollnplc.ca.

​

Photo from Ingersolls Pride Flag Raising

06/08/2026

thrilled to invite you to the launch of Dr. Cody Groat’s new book Always A Part Of The Land. Cody will be joined in conversation with Dr. Kelsey Leonard. Join us on Indigenous Peoples Day, Sunday June 21 from 2-4 to hear from these two incredible scholars from our community and celebrate the launch of this important new book! Books will be available for purchase at the event. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1991404413207?aff=oddtdtcreator. Registration is not required, but helps us make sure we have enough space!

ABOUT THE BOOK
The commemoration of a nation’s past is a highly contested process, fraught with identity politics and competing interests. For over a century – even as the government of Canada denied them the rights to recognize or practise their cultures – Indigenous Peoples have challenged the often narrow and one-sided interpretations found in museums, at historic sites, or alongside statues or monuments.

Cody Groat demonstrates how the federal government actively shapes complex national narratives that are mediated through the perspectives of historians, elected officials, and leading civil servants. From the commemoration of the earliest human habitations in North America to the recognition of the Indian residential school system, the state has constructed a past imbued with patriotism and national pride. But Indigenous interests diverge from those of the state. From small acts of defiance, such as the refusal to share sacred knowledge, to open acts of resistance, such as the citizen’s arrest of an archaeologist, Indigenous people have long fought for the opportunity to share their stories as they know them.

Always a Part of the Land calls for a critical reinterpretation not only of the nation’s history but also of how we think about the past and how this shapes ongoing relationships between Indigenous Peoples and the state.

06/08/2026

Chi-miigwech to the Ingersill DEI committee for understanding the importance of helping to share the load of Truth and Reconciliation and to the Town of Ingersoll for hearing our request and approving it without hesitation. We truly hope to see you there. So grateful to have Mary Lou coming and sharing ceremony to our community.

Join us for a Sunrise Ceremony in Victoria Park on Monday, June 22nd, 2026, to honour National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Through the efforts of the Ingersoll Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and supported by the Town of Ingersoll Council, this event invites our community to come together to welcome the day and honour the rich history, culture, and resilience of Indigenous peoples.

Elder Mary Lou Smoke will lead the ceremony, gathering at 6:30 a.m. with the ceremony to commence at 7:00 a.m. We hope to see you there for a morning of reflection and respect. All are welcome.

06/07/2026

We're excited to announce a new biweekly program: Atlohsa's Women's Circle! Come and join us on June 15th, and every other Monday after that! 🩵

Women’s Circle is a welcoming space where Indigenous women and girls (ages 16+) can come together to build connections, support one another, share experiences, and spend time in community.

Through cultural teachings, wellness activities, conversations, and creative workshops, women will have opportunities to reconnect with themselves, each other, and their strengths in a safe and supportive environment.

What to expect:
- Cultural teachings and activities
- Guest speakers and facilitators
- Creative workshops and hands-on crafts
- Wellness and self-care focused sessions
- Supplies and meals provided; no costs to attend

🗓 Biweekly on Mondays (starting on June 15th)
⏰ 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
📍 343 Richmond Street, London (Atlohsa's Elders' Lounge)

Questions? Contact [email protected]!

06/06/2026

The fire we build together is a space for truth, for memory, and for the deep healing of our whole community.

​Today is Blue Jean Jacket Day—a sacred time dedicated to honoring, remembering, and speaking the names of our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Men and Boys (MMIMB).
​When we talk about this pain, we aren't just talking about abstract numbers. We are talking about real lives, real families, and real places.

Many of us watched the powerful docuseries Thunder Bay on Crave, which laid bare the heartbreaking truth of what has been happening to our youth in Northern Ontario. It showed the world what happens when young Indigenous boys have to leave the safety of their home communities just to get an education, only to find themselves navigating a city rife with systemic racism, where their disappearances are dismissed and their lives are treated as an afterthought by the systems meant to protect them. The boys found in those waterways are a painful, tangible reminder of why we cannot look away.

​It is important to say clearly: bringing our men and boys into the light does not diminish or take away from the vital, ongoing fight for our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ relatives. The violence our women face is a crisis that breaks our hearts every single day.

​But to truly heal the circle, we have to look at the whole circle.
​Colonialism has spent generations intentionally targeting Indigenous men—stripping away their traditional roles as protectors, providers, and nurturers, and replacing them with systemic violence, criminalization, and neglect. When our boys and men are targeted by this violence and left to carry that heavy trauma without support, it creates painful, fractured cycles that ripple across generations and tear at the fabric of our families. By honoring our men and boys today, we are working to break those colonial cycles. We are saying that their safety, their mental health, and their lives are vital to the wellness of our entire community.

​Why the blue jean jacket?
​Denim is the fabric of our everyday lives. It is rugged, enduring, and holds the memories of daily life—the sweat of hard work, the laughter of a father, the running around of a young boy. It is what our grandfathers wore to work the land and what our uncles wore around the yard.
​When we put on our blue jean jackets today, we are wrapping ourselves in a collective shield of remembrance. It is a visual prayer that says: We see you. You matter. We are still looking for you, and we are still fighting for the justice you deserve.

​If you are wearing your denim today, let it be a prayer in motion. If you feel guided, please drop a photo of your jacket in the comments, light a candle, or leave a word of love for the families who carry these empty spaces in their hearts.
​Let's keep the fire burning bright for them today. Chi-miigwetch.

​

05/31/2026

As we prepare to say boozhoo to June, we are all reminded of the beautiful, sacred season where paths intertwine in celebration, remembrance, and deep community love. A time of strawberries, community gatherings, sunshine, and dreams. Here at Building the Fire, we are holding space for both National Indigenous History Month and Pride Month.

​These two celebrations are not separate conversations. They flow from the same river of resilience, dignity, and the fundamental right to exist exactly as Creator intended. This month, we invite you to open your hearts to the unique beauty of these intersecting journeys and join us across our region as we gather in community.

​National Indigenous History Month is a time to look back with deep reverence, honesty, and respect. Acknowledging the true history of this land—both the breathtaking brilliance of Indigenous cultures and the painful truths of colonial systemic violence—is the essential foundation of everything we do.
​But true remembrance doesn't stay in the past; it demands action in the present.

​Our organization's name, Building the Fire, is a direct nod to the Anishinaabe prophecy of the Eighth Fire. This prophecy speaks of a time when all people will stand at a crossroads. If we choose the path of love, justice, and mutual respect, a new people will emerge to light the Eighth Fire—an eternal flame of peace, harmony, and shared stewardship of the earth. We take intentional action today so that we can build that fire together, transforming past truths into present momentum, and ensuring a future filled with radiant collective joy.

​When we talk about lighting the Eighth Fire, we are talking about bringing the whole circle together in its absolute fullness. A vital, beautiful part of that circle is the enduring legacy of Two-Spirit (2Spirit) and Indigiq***r identities.

Long before colonial systems brought rigid boxes regarding gender and affection to Turtle Island, many Indigenous nations recognized, honored, and celebrated individuals who carried these identities.

Today, claiming a 2Spirit or Indigiq***r identity is an act of reclamation and sovereignty. It is a reminder that Indigenous traditions have always been expansive, loving, and deeply inclusive. This intersection is entirely unique: it is not simply being q***r and Indigenous, but holding a culturally distinct, spiritually rooted worldview that recognizes fluidities of gender and sexuality as sacred medicine for the collective whole.

Gathering in Community
​Nothing warms the spirit quite like gathering together in shared spaces. We invite you and your loved ones to step out, connect, and celebrate at these vital local events this June:

🌈​June 13 | Family Pride Day (Woodstock)
Gather at Museum Square in Woodstock for a vibrant celebration hosted by Oxford Family Pride. It is a joyful space to celebrate love in all its beautiful forms and ensure every family feels safe, seen, and wrapped in community warmth.

🐻​June 14 | Grand Opening: Two Row Culture & Community Space (Woodstock)
Celebrate an incredible community milestone with Two Row Creations! Join them for the grand opening of their brand-new Culture and Community Space in Woodstock—a beautiful step forward for local cultural reclamation, gathering, and connection.

🧡​June 19 | 30th Indigenous Solidarity Day Celebration (London)
Head down to Victoria Park in London to honor a massive milestone—three decades of coming together in solidarity. This celebration is a powerful gathering of community, culture, and resistance that you won't want to miss.

🪶​June 21 | National Indigenous Peoples Day
A day dedicated to honoring the breathtaking diversity, rich cultures, and enduring contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples across this land. Take time to listen, learn, and appreciate the living history all around us.

🦅June 21| Tillsonburg & District Historical Society National Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration (Tillsonburg)
12:30 to 4:00 p.m. Community is invited to attend this event with Opening Ceremony and Performance at 2:00 pm
Hosted at Memorial Park in Tillsonburg
(enter at John St. or Sanders St. south east of Communitv Centre.)

📙​June 21 | Book Launch: "Always A Part of the Land" (Ingersoll)
Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day right here at home! Head over to Commonplace Books on Thames Street for the launch of a deeply important new book by Dr. Cody Groat, a Kanyen'kehá:ka (Mohawk) scholar with a PhD in Indigenous Studies.

☀️​June 22 | Sunrise Ceremony with Elder Mary Lou Smoke (Ingersoll)
Join us right here at home in Ingersoll at Victoria Park as we welcome the morning sun in a sacred circle led by beloved Anishinaabe Elder Mary Lou Smoke. We ask everyone to begin gathering around 6:45 AM. This ceremony offers a quiet, profound space to ground our hearts, listen to sacred teachings, offer gratitude, and commit to walking forward in unity.

​As we tend to the fires of community this June, let us remember that every single one of us carries a spark of the divine. When we lift up the uniqueness of our Two-Spirit and Indigiq***r relatives, when we listen to the stories, wisdom, and knowledge of our Indigenous relations, we restore a piece of the sacred balance that was always meant to be. May your month be filled with soft moments of reflection, fierce moments of pride, and an enduring warmth in your heart. Let’s keep building the fire, together.