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Building The Fire, Ingersoll, ON (2026)

10/04/2026

Today, October 4th, is Sisters in Spirit Day. Across Turtle Island, we pause to honor, remember, and lift up the spirits of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit relatives (MMIWG2S+).

They are not numbers or cold statistics. Behind every red dress and every empty seat is a sacred life-giver, a knowledge keeper—a daughter, mother, sister, auntie, cousin, and friend. Each person taken leaves an irreplaceable void in our families, communities, and nations.

We wrap our hearts around the grieving families, loved ones, and survivors who carry the heavy weight of this loss every day. We stand with you in grief, in resilience, and in the ongoing fight for answers and truth.

Every single woman, survivor, and family experiencing violence deserves immediate care, resources, and collective outrage. The attention, outrage and swift community response surrounding situations like the Cornell 7 is what should happen whenever harm occurs—every victim deserves to have the world stop and demand answers. But witnessing that response also throws into sharp relief the painful, ongoing disparity in our systems. It reminds us of how Indigenous families have had to camp in freezing weather, rally, and literally beg governments just to search landfills for our stolen relatives—a heartbreaking fight for basic human dignity that continues today. We do not want less attention or care for others; we want equal access to justice, safety, and urgency for all of us. No family should ever have to plead just to be seen.

True safety cannot only mean teaching our daughters how to navigate danger; it means dismantling the culture that causes harm in the first place. Having raised four daughters over the last decade and a half, and now holding a baby boy in my arms, this responsibility feels deeply personal and immediate. Real change starts in our homes. It means raising our children—especially our sons—with a foundational understanding of bodily autonomy and the sacred sovereignty of women and Two-Spirit people. It means raising boys who refuse complicit silence, who hold their peers accountable, and who grow into men who actively protect and honor life.

At Building the Fire, we know that remembrance requires continuous, everyday action. Honoring our stolen sisters means confronting systemic violence, demanding equitable institutional accountability, and nurturing a generation where everyone is valued and safe.

Ways to stand in solidarity today:
❤️Hang a red dress or display a red ribbon in your window or yard.
❤️Light a candle tonight to honor their spirits and send strength to their families.
❤️Speak their names, share their stories, and refuse to let their memories fade into silence.
❤️Have direct, honest conversations at home about consent, bodily autonomy, and accountability.
❤️Commit to the everyday work of education, advocacy, and community care.

We remember them. We honor them. Keep their memories alive, and keep the fire burning for justice. 🕯️❤️

Crisis & Community Support Lines:
National MMIWG Crisis Line (24/7): 1-844-413-6649

Hope for Wellness Help Line (24/7): 1-855-242-3310 (Online chat available at hopeforwellness.ca)

Talk4Healing (Indigenous Women’s Support): 1-855-554-HEAL

09/30/2026

Sitting here this morning scrolling through old photos, my heart has been feeling so full, so tender, and so heavy all at once.

Looking back at pictures of our early marches through Ingersoll—remembering my eldest, Fae, at just eight years old, gently placing tiny shoes and stuffies on the front lawn of Sacred Heart so the spirits of stolen children wouldn't be forgotten. I remember the orange paper hearts taped in windows, the sore feet, the tears, and the exhausting weight of trying to get our community to just stop, listen, and care.

I’ll be honest: waking up this morning on September 30th—Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation—a wave of familiar guilt hit me. I felt the ache of not organizing a big town march or hosting a community event this year.

Then I looked down at my newborn son resting against my chest, sniffling through his first little cold, and our teachings grounded me right back into truth.

I am in my sacred postpartum window. In our ways, this space is ceremony. For generations, Indigenous women have felt the impossible pressure that if we pause—even for a moment—the world will look away from the truth. But residential institutions were created for one singular purpose: to rip babies from their mothers’ arms, sever our families, and destroy the cradleboard.

Sitting quietly in my home today, holding my baby close, keeping him warm, nursing him through a cold, and protecting his spirit isn't taking time "off"—it is the living, breathing purpose of Orange Shirt Day. Our survival, our motherhood, and our unbroken love are our greatest acts of resistance.

Reconciliation cannot mean that Indigenous mothers must burn themselves out year after year carrying the entire emotional and physical labor for an entire town. The seeds we planted have taken root.

We saw that on Monday at Dewan Park. Watching Rune drum and lift her voice for the Water Song, seeing Fae carry the medicine bowl to offer a grounding smudge to our neighbours, and seeing the Town of Ingersoll step up to permanently fund and raise the Survivors' Flag every year without community members having to ask or supply it—that is real change. That is institutional accountability.

Over these past five years, that raw grief transformed into deep roots, lasting community education, and real systemic change:

🧡Youth & Grassroots Education: Facilitating three years of IndigiKNOW in meaningful partnership with Community Building Youth Futures (CBYF) Oxford and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oxford County.

🧡Guiding Systemic Change: Consulting alongside Elder Gloria Thomson for Community Building Youth Futures, leading to foundational, systemic change right within Oxford’s branch.

🧡Workshops, Training & Community Healing: Hosting immersive KAIROS Blanket Exercises across local organizations with Elder Mary Anne Kechego and Gloria Thomson; providing cultural safety and capacity-building training for municipal leaders and social services; holding teachings, medicine, and healing circles at the Fusion Centre alongside our Elders and Atlohsa Family Healing Services; and partnering with DART (Domestic Abuse Resource Team) to facilitate MMIWG2S healing sessions while serving as a context expert on femicide, human trafficking, and domestic violence.

🧡Healthcare Sector Accountability: Delivering community cultural safety and systemic training for the Oxford Health Team (OHT) to build genuine accountability into local care systems.

🧡Permanent Downtown Visibility: Partnering through ISAN (Building the Fire) with the Ingersoll BIA and the Ingersoll Legion to establish permanent visibility downtown—creating the Indigenous Awareness Crosswalk and honoring our warriors at the Veterans Memorial.

🧡Municipal Policy & Institutional Action: Working alongside our Town of Ingersoll DEI Committee to see Town Council make the raising of the Survivors’ Flag a permanent, standing annual arrangement funded entirely by the Town; eliminating municipal fees for Indigenous cultural gatherings; funding and hosting community Sunrise Ceremonies; and implementing an annual municipal progress report on the TRC Calls to Action.

Ingersoll has set the bar by proving that institutions can—and must—carry their own share of the work. This cannot remain an exception; it must be the baseline from which Oxford County and all surrounding municipalities operate.

We do not walk this path alone. We stand on the strength of our ancestors, our Elders, and our mentors—relatives like Mary Lou Smoke, the late Dan baa Smoke, Mary Anne Kechego, Derek Snake, Gloria Thomson, Kristi White, and Melissa Deleary who kept our fires burning in the darkest times. And we walk beside incredible scholars, artists, and changemakers right here in our territory, like Cody Groat, Robin Michaud, Becca Neepin, Keegan Marshal-DeSutter, Mike Cywink, and Maxine Noel.

To our allies and neighbours wearing your orange shirts today: thank you for standing with us. But please remember that reconciliation cannot be packed away when the orange shirts go into the closet tomorrow.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and the 231 Calls for Justice from the MMIWG Inquiry are open books. No one can pretend they do not know what needs to be done. Ignorance is no longer an excuse; inaction is a choice.

Our truths belong to all 365 days of the year—on National Indigenous Languages Day in March, on Red Dress Day on May 5th, on Indigenous Peoples Day in June, and on Indigenous Veterans Day in November. It belongs in the choices made in municipal council chambers, in school boards, and on our streets every single day.

Today, wear your orange with intention. Read the Calls to Action. Have the uncomfortable conversations with your families. And remember the children who never made it home, the survivors who carried the truth forward, and the babies in the cradleboards who deserve a better, more honest world.
Mikwenden—remember them.
Chi-miigwech and Bamapii.

09/25/2026

All are welcome for a Truth and Reconciliation Sunrise Ceremony with Mary Lou Smoke on Wednesday, September 30 at 7:00 am at Pittock.

09/25/2026

Real reconciliation isn’t about performative gestures; it’s about institutional accountability and lifting the weight off community members who have carried it for far too long.

This Monday, September 28th, we’ll be gathering at Dewan Park around noon to raise the Survivors’ Flag. We are raising it together in honour and remembrance of both September 30th (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) and October 4th (National Day of Action for MMIWG2S).

For years, the burden of these moments has so often fallen on Indigenous community members—having to submit the paperwork, ask for permission, supply the flag out of pocket, and fight for space to be acknowledged.

Through our work on the Town’s DEI Committee, we pushed to change that. Ingersoll Town Council officially approved making this flag raising a standing annual commitment funded directly by the municipality. Community members and survivors should never have to carry the emotional or financial load of supplying the symbols of their own survival. It is the town's responsibility to hold this space every single year, without being asked.

While words are being shared by Mayor Petrie and myself, a community smudge will be offered to provide grounding, comfort, and care to anyone who wishes to receive it.

You are warmly invited to wear your orange shirts, ribbon skirts, or ribbon shirts—or simply come in whatever feels comfortable and respectful to you.

When & Where:
Date: Monday, September 28th
Time: 12:00 PM (Noon)
Location: Dewan Park, Ingersoll

Come as you are to witness, listen, and stand in community with us. All are welcome.

09/15/2026

Aaniin, She:kon, and warm greetings to our relatives, allies, and community.

If things have felt quiet on the Building the Fire page over the past while, there is a sacred reason. On September 10th, our family was blessed to welcome a precious baby boy into the world.

Following the guidance of our Elders and Aunties, I am currently observing a sacred period of postpartum rest to honor the ceremony of pregnancy, birth, and new life. In our traditional ways, this quiet time protects the spirit of mother and child, lets the body heal, and grounds the home in prayer and peace.

Welcoming our son was also a moment of deep ancestral healing. He came into this world at Victoria Hospital surrounded by Elder drumming, traditional song, and the medicine of a smudge right in the delivery room. A generation ago—even a decade ago—ceremony inside hospital walls was something many of our people could only dream of. That sacred space only existed because of the tireless dedication of our ogichidaa, advocates, healthcare workers, and healers who fought relentlessly so our medicines, protocols, and sovereignty could exist in institutional spaces. I hold profound gratitude for every warrior who cleared that trail.

Even as I rest my body in the lodge of my home, my spirit walks alongside all of you.
September carries immense weight. As we approach the days of truth and remembrance, especially Orange Shirt Day on September 30th, we remember that building the 8th Fire begins with confronting hard truths. Wearing an orange shirt is a deeply meaningful statement of remembrance, honoring the children who never made it home and the generations altered forever. But that shirt is also a lifelong commitment, not a finish line.

The teachings of the 8th Fire invite us to carry that remembrance into our daily routines, our workplaces, and our everyday choices.

True reconciliation cannot happen without everyday action, humility, and systemic accountability. It asks us to move beyond symbolic gestures and lean into the real, ongoing commitments our communities need.

This work means picking up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and the MMIWG2S 231 Calls for Justice not as passive reading, but as living, urgent blueprints for transformation in healthcare, education, justice, and child welfare. We cannot speak of healing while our Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse relatives continue to face disproportionate violence and systemic indifference; honoring our stolen sisters requires our unrelenting vigilance and voice every single day.

Accountability also flows through our waters. Nibi bimaadiziwin—water is life. When our Water Walkers lift their copper vessels in ceremony and walk the highway shoulders in prayer, they carry both a spiritual devotion to Mother Earth and a reminder that clean, safe drinking water remains a basic human right denied to far too many First Nations across this country.

As we step into ceremonial spaces—whether gathering around a Sacred Fire, greeting the sun, or joining a pipe circle—we are called to arrive with humility, clean hands, and open hearts. Bringing semaa (to***co) in respect, dressing mindfully, and prioritizing listening to our Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Aunties ensures our spaces stay protected, sacred, and grounded in original teachings.

To every single person who gathers around this fire, this comes straight from a heart overflowing with gratitude and humility.
To our Elders, Aunties, and Knowledge Keepers: chi-miigwech, nia:wen for holding us in fierce kindness, for correcting our steps with love when we stumble, and for anchoring us to the ground. Thank you for teaching me that resting is not stepping away from the work, but a sacred ceremony of its own that honors the gifts Creator places in our care. Your patience and wisdom are the heartbeat of everything we do.

To our kin who are walking the tender path of reconnecting: please know that you are seen, held, and cherished exactly as you are. If you are just learning how to hold semaa, singing your first song, or searching for the names and stories of your ancestors, there is a place waiting for you at this fire without condition or judgment. Colonization tried with all its might to sever our roots, but our ancestors buried them so deep within the earth that they could never be pulled up. You belong here, and there is no timeline or deadline on coming home.

And to our allies walking beside us: chi-miigwech for choosing to show up with open ears, humble hearts, and willing hands. Thank you for leaning into the discomfort of the truth, for refusing to look away from hard history, and for carrying that weight into your workplaces, dinner tables, and community spaces. We cannot tend and build this 8th Fire alone; it takes all of us bringing our gifts, supporting Indigenous makers, uplifting grassroots leadership, and committing to real, lasting change together.

Local Gatherings & Events
Please join us in community across our region to bear witness, listen, and walk together. Note the dates as we gather to learn, pray, and heal:

Oxford County
2nd Annual Truth and Reconciliation March (Woodstock): Sunday, September 27, 2026 (12:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
Hosted by Two Row Creeations. Gather in community at Museum Square (Woodstock, ON) to walk in honor—for the children, the survivors, the future. The afternoon features Indigenous drummers and dancers, artisans, food vendors, community and cultural resource tables, children's activities, guest speakers, and the solidarity march.

Survivors' Flag Raising Ceremony (Ingersoll): Monday, September 28, 2026 (12:00 PM / Noon)
Hosted by the Town of Ingersoll Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. Join together for the raising of the Survivors’ Flag in ceremony, honoring the resilience of residential school survivors, their families, and all the children who never returned home.

Sunrise Ceremony with Elder Mary Lou Smoke (Pittock Conservation Area, Woodstock): Wednesday, September 30, 2026 (Sunrise)
Hosted by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA), with support from the City of Woodstock and Two Row Creeations. Gather at daybreak to open the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in ceremony and prayer alongside respected Elder Mary Lou Smoke at the Sacred Fire, honoring survivors, remembering the children, and greeting the dawn together in community reflection.

Reconciliation Reflection Route / Self-Reflection Walk (Ingersoll): Wednesday, September 30, 2026 (Open throughout the day)
An intentional, self-guided space along the trail in Ingersoll for quiet prayer, reflection, and honoring the legacy of residential school survivors and families.

Every Child Matters Flag Raisings & Displays: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Orange Shirt Day commemorations and displays taking place across municipal centres and town halls throughout Oxford County.

London & Middlesex Region
Atlohsa Family Healing Services Gathering (The Green, Wortley Village - London): Wednesday, September 30, 2026 (Sunrise through afternoon)
Opening at sunrise with the lighting of the Sacred Fire, followed by smoke dances, jingle dress healing songs, guest speakers, community food, and an Indigenous artisan market.

Mount Elgin Youth Nibi / Honor Walk: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Walking in ceremony and remembrance from Chippewas of the Thames toward London to honor the lost children and survivors of the Mount Elgin Industrial Institute.

Kitchener-Waterloo Region
The Healing of the Seven Generations (H7G) Annual "Remember Me" Walk: Wednesday, September 30, 2026 (10:00 AM)
Gathering at 300 Frederick Street in Kitchener at 10:00 AM, walking in unity down to Victoria Park for drumming, speeches, and community connection.

Crow Shield Lodge (Waterloo Region): Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Providing a dedicated ceremonial fire, land-based teachings, and reflection space to honor family lineages, ancestors, and communal healing.

Community Spaces & Learning Resources
Whether you are looking to reconnect, learn, or offer support, these organizations and spaces lead vital work year-round:

Two Row Culture & Community Centre / Two Row Creeations (Woodstock): A grassroots Indigenous cultural and community hub dedicated to cultural workshops, drum and sharing circles, youth learning, and uplifting Indigenous makers and knowledge.

Wampum Learning Lodge (Western University, London): A gathering space dedicated to Indigenous ways of knowing, decolonization, and cultural resurgence. Offers community workshops, an outdoor ceremonial arbor, an Elder-in-Residence program, and connection for students and community members.

Atlohsa Family Healing Services (London): Providing holistic community healing, language programming, culture, and emergency shelter resources grounded in Indigenous values.

Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA): Advocating for the safety, health, leadership, and rights of Indigenous women, girls, and families across Ontario.

The Healing of the Seven Generations (H7G - Kitchener): Grassroots frontline support, residential school survivor resources, and cultural programming.

Crow Shield Lodge (Waterloo Region): Fostering healing and reconciliation through land-based practices, cultural education, and community unity.

Chi-miigwech for giving our family the quiet grace to rest, heal, and bond during these sacred weeks. My prayers are with each of you as we keep the fire burning.
With love, gratitude, and solidarity,
Patricia
Building the Fire

07/30/2026

Today Building the Fire acknowledges World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, this is not an abstract concept or just a date on a calendar. It is lived truth for myself and many others.

As a survivor of human trafficking, attempted femicide, domestic violence, and sexual assault, I know the heavy, suffocating darkness that violence brings into a life. I know what it feels like to have your freedom stolen, your spirit targeted, and your safety dismantled.

Every single life is sacred. Our women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ kin are sacred life-givers, water keepers, and knowledge holders. Human trafficking, abuse, and exploitation attempt to desecrate that sacredness—to dim the fire inside us and make us believe we are alone.
But violence does not get the final word. Your spirit remains sacred, no matter what has been done to you.

As survivors, we carry these truths:
❤️It happens right here. Exploitation thrives in our small towns, urban centers, and reserve communities, feeding off systemic injustice, intergenerational trauma, and isolation.

❤️We deserve to get out. Freedom, safety, and dignity are your birthright. You are worthy of peace.

❤️Healing is a sacred journey, and we need support to walk it. Escaping and rebuilding after extreme violence isn't something anyone should have to do alone. It takes wrap-around community care, love, culturally safe supports, and accessible resources to tend to our fire until it burns bright again.

Yesterday’s newly released report, "Unseen, Unknown, and Unsolved", underscores the devastating, direct connections between human trafficking and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ (MMIWG2S+) genocide. Illuminating how Human trafficking is an active pipeline stealing our sacred relatives.

Fulfilling the Calls for Justice is not optional—it is an urgent, life-saving duty.

If you are trapped, seeking a way out, or trying to piece your life back together: You are sacred. You are not forgotten. And you deserve to be free.

Below are regional and Indigenous-led supports ready to wrap around you:

Support Resources
🔥 24/7 Crisis & Indigenous Helplines
Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-833-900-1010 (Call/Chat 24/7)
Talk 4 Healing (Indigenous Women’s Support): 1-855-554-HEAL (4325)
ONWA Anti-Human Trafficking Crisis Line: 1-800-667-0816
Hope for Wellness Indigenous Helpline: 1-855-242-3310

📍 Oxford County
Victim Assistance Services of Oxford County (VASOC): 519-537-2824
Domestic Abuse Review Team (DART) / Oxford Women’s Emergency Shelter (Ingersoll/Woodstock): 519-539-4883 / 1-800-265-1938

📍 London-Middlesex
Atlohsa Family Healing Services (Indigenous-Led): 519-438-0068 / 24/7 Crisis: 1-800-605-7477
London Abused Women’s Centre (LAWC - HT Supports): 519-432-2204
Anishnabeg Outreach (London): 519-658-8272

📍 Kitchener-Waterloo (KW) Area
Healing of the Seven Generations (Indigenous-Led): 519-570-9118
Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC) Waterloo Region – Anti-Human Trafficking Program: 519-741-8633 (24/7 Line)

📍 Brantford, Six Nations of the Grand River, Mississaugas of the Credit, Chippewas of the Thames, Oneida Nation, Munsee-Delaware
Ganohkwasra Family Assault Support Services (Six Nations): 519-445-4325 (24/7 Crisis Line)
De Dwa Da Dehs Nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre (Brantford): 519-752-4340
Nova Vita Domestic Violence Services (Brantford): 519-752-HELP (4357)
SOAHAC (Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre - London, Chippewas, Munsee): 519-289-0359

We hold space today for those still in the dark, those who were stolen from us, and those walking the long road of healing. We keep the fire burning for all of you. 🪶🔥

07/27/2026

On July 29th, Atlohsa’s Okaadenige Team invites Indigenous youth ages 15–23 to join us for an afternoon of creativity and conversation. We'll be creating beaded lanyards while learning about what human trafficking can look like among youth, including common warning signs, healthy relationships, and ways to stay safe. Join us in a welcoming space to connect with others, express your creativity, and gain knowledge to protect yourself and your community. 🩵

Okaadenige at Atlohsa Family Healing Services is an Anti-Human Trafficking Program dedicated to prevention, awareness, and support for those who have experienced human trafficking, sexual abuse, exploitation, or who may be at risk. Through outreach and education, we aim to help youth recognize the signs of unsafe situations, build awareness, and feel supported in their choices.

Here’s what to expect:
📿 Beaded Lanyard Workshop (make and take home your own!)
💬 Safe, Open Discussion
🍴 Food & Supplies Provided (no cost)
📅 Wednesday, July 29th, 2026
🕒 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
📍 Atlohsa's Head Office, Mino Kitchen, 343 Richmond Street, London

Have questions? Contact Sandra at 382-577-3679 or [email protected]!

06/21/2026

Happy Indigenous Peoples Day!

June 21st wasn't chosen by accident. It is the Summer Solstice—the longest day of the year and a time when the sun sits highest in the sky. For generations, Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island have gathered on this specific day to welcome the return of warmth, celebrate the gifts of the earth, and honor the change of seasons.

In 1996, this day was officially recognized in Canada as a time to celebrate the distinct cultures, rich histories, and incredible resilience of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
When we talk about "building the fire" today, it means something different depending on who you are. Today is about shining a bright solstice light on both education and reclamation:

For my non-Indigenous friends and neighbors:
Building the fire means putting in the work to educate yourself. True allyship means learning about the land you live on, understanding the true history of the unique heritages of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, and listening with an open heart. The responsibility to learn belongs to you—don't let the fire of reconciliation burn out when today ends.

For my Indigenous relatives and those on the journey of reconnecting:
Building the fire is your birthright. If you are learning your language, tracking down your family roots, or discovering your traditions for the very first time, know this: you belong to this circle. You don't have to know everything to start. Every piece of knowledge you reclaim adds wood to a fire that colonial systems tried to put out, but never could. Your spark is powerful.

A Special Solstice Firekeeper Shoutout:
Because June 21st also lands on Father's Day today, we want to honor the incredible dad figures and masculine energies in our lives.
To the dads, stepdads, grandfathers, uncles, Elders, and anyone else who fills that father-like role: thank you for being our personal Firekeepers. Thank you for protecting our sparks when we were small, shielding us from the cold, and passing down the strength and patience we need to keep growing.

An especially deep, heartfelt thank you goes out to the men and firekeepers who have courageously stepped onto their own healing journeys. Breaking cycles, facing the hard work, and healing your own spirit so you can be a strong, healthy, and grounded firekeeper in your home and life is some of the most powerful, sacred work there is. We see you, and we honor your strength.

📍 Celebrate, Reconnect & Learn Locally:
If you are looking for meaningful ways to engage, learn, and show up today and tomorrow, we have some incredible things happening right here in our community:

📚 This Afternoon (June 21st): Head over to Commonplace Books for author Cody Groat’s book launch! It is a fantastic opportunity to support Indigenous authorship, listen to vital stories, and expand your learning.

🌅 Tomorrow Morning (June 22nd): Start your day in a good way by joining the community for a sacred Sunrise Ceremony led by Elder Mary Lou Smoke right here in Ingersoll. Come out to connect, reflect, and share space.

Whether you are gathering the wood to learn, or fanning the flames to reconnect—let’s keep the fire burning together.

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