Indigenous People's Solidarity Group
The June 2023 Solstice ceremony at St. Matthew's Indigenous Healing Garden. (Marcelle St-Amant)
The Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Group (IPSG) was founded in 2018, as congregants and community members acted on the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We aspire to live in accordance with St. Matt’s Territorial Acknowledgement, now posted streetside, which recognizes 15,000 years of Indigenous history in this place as well as our commitment as settlers to the Land and its first stewards.
The IPSG hosts regular ceremonies and events—including book studies, Indigenous Song Circles, liturgies, and other activities—as well as oversees Noojimo’iwewin Gitigaan/Healing Garden.
Anyone can join the gardening, reconciliation and spiritual events being held in the garden. Sign up for the St. Matt’s e-newsletter for regular invitations and reflections from the IPSG, and/or contact Outreach Coordinator Betsy Anderson to join. Keep up with our activities on Facebook.
We Are All Water Protectors in Broadview
Indigenous Groups urge Canadians to rethink their Relationship with Water. United Church magazine Broadview writes about debate sparked by the We are All Water Protectors event June 6 at St. Matthew's, organized by St.Matthew’s Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Group and Noojimo’iwewin Gitigaan National Healing Forest Project.
We Are All Water Protectors acknowledgements
A huge shout out to St. Matthew’s for in-kind support of the June 6th We Are All Water Protectors Gathering produced by the Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Group, and to all the adherents of St. Matthew’s and Bloor Street United who gave from their hands and hearts to make the day a success. Karen Marshall and her Crew were indispensable in planning and executing the logistics of the space; Nancy and Laurie Gordon were tireless kitchen helpers to Red Seal Chef Reva-Marie Peters-Ackroyd; Harold Dunsmore brought his tech game to the booth as to his photographs; Marcelle St. Amant baked dozens of cookies for lunch and pies for the Feast; Cath Lofsky and Monica Meeson danced through the day with Las Monarcas of Canada Nos Une.
There are so many more from our church communities to thank for participating in the Gathering, but most of all for taking on diverse staff and volunteer roles: Robin and Michael Buyers, Sophie Brathwaite, Amanda Christie, Steven Clark, Jorry Cross, Tamara Este, Linda Fowler-Wojciechowski, Cleone Grasham, Randi Helmers, Priscila Kalevar, Beatrice Kabagenyi, Nelly Kimunguyi, Oscar Akamine Kina, Joseph Kizza Lutaaya, John Marshall, Sheila Moll, Nghi Nguyen, Kathryn Tate, and Liara Weiler. Fifty-six staff and volunteers from church and community contributed in all.
As always, the IPSG is grateful for the guidance of Elder-in-Residence Peduhbun Migizi Kwe/Dr. Catherine Brooks in bringing our dreams to fruition in a good way. She shall have the last word:
The day was rich with teaching on how we need to learn about the just stewardship of water for all of our relations and our future generations. It was a unique opportunity for people from every background and walk of life to meet, exchange thoughts and be encouraged to act to protect water: a profoundly spiritual, practical, and joyful experience according to the participants, Presenters, and Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Group members.
The We Are All Water Protectors Gathering: Environmental Racism & Re-imagining Water Stewardship was funded Heritage Canada, Park People, the United Church of Canada, Shining Waters Regional Council, and generous donations from friends and partners. Photos by Harold and Robin.
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Unveiling copper artwork inspired by Water Protectors sessions. Photo: Harold Durnford
Coming Up
The next Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Group Gathering will be at noon on July 1 in the southwest corner of Christie Pits Park. We will share food, have a chance to "Talk Treaty" to one another, tie orange prayer flags on park fences, and build fish puppets for the September 23 Grassy Narrows River Run. Look for the We Are All Treaty Peoples banner.
The Sweetwater is Running
“Aambe ziisbaakadokaaning zhaadaa/Let’s go to the Sugar Camp” is the Anishinaabemowin language lesson for February 20th of Anishnabek Nation Language Commissioner Barbara Nolan’s 2026 Calendar. Regal Heights Neighbourhood Association’s John Keating found it to be so and began his 13th year of tapping local Maples over Family Day weekend.
Tapping in Noojimo’iwewin Gitigaan with the Hippo School began on February 24th, which turned out to be the coldest day on the week’s calendar. Only the oldest children had the opportunity to be part of the process, greeting Garden Co-Lead Preston Walberg’s offering of Tobacco to Maple for its gift of Sweetwater with curiosity and John’s drilling with enthusiasm. The opportunity to take a turn pounding in the spile then watching how the bucket was attached closed the outdoor portion of the activity.
Inside, Garden Educator Maya Ferguson-Klinowski called all 3 classes into circles to hear Co-Lead Vanessa Barnes’s re-telling of the late Mississaugas of the Credit Elder Gary baa Sault’s story of how Woodpecker helped Maple relieve the itch of busy bugs under her bark with his sharp beak. All the creatures in the forest, including the youngest siblings, the two-leggeds, learned from Woodpecker of Maple’s sweet gift. Since Noojimo’iwewin Gitigaan is not yet producing sap, John shared from what Maples elsewhere in the neighbourhood had offered so the children could taste the sweetness of spring’s first Medicine. He reassured the children that they could start checking the buckets on their walks as soon as the days grew warmer.
Celebrating the "sweetwater". Children from Hippo school help pound in the spiles in tapping. Pictures by Robin Buyers
“After such a cold and snowy winter,” said Preston afterwards, “it was a delight to share the first hints of an early spring with the little ones—the practices and stories of nature’s gift economy in Tkaronto and the Great Lakes region and the first taste of this year’s sweetwater.” If you too want to volunteer in Tuesday morning children’s programming, contact majentamaya@gmail.com to be included in the schedule.
When the Sugaring Moon rises in March, we expect warming days and cold nights to continue, bringing sweetwater to our buckets then to the great neighbourhood boil down on Springmount Avenue, where the ziibing/waterway known as Garrison Creek runs beneath. Perhaps this was once the site of a Sugar Camp. The littles are already looking forward to maple syrup from their own Camp for a Hippo School lunch.
On Sept. 23, 2023, the IPSG and Community History Project hosted a Why We Wear Orange Tea & Bannock gathering featuring Council Fire's Red Bear Singers. Red Bear Singers was founded to bring the healing of drum and song to Residential School and Sixties Scoop survivors and their families.
Pictures of Why We Wear Orange Day by Linda Wojciechowski