Barry Sarazin from Pikwakanagan First Nation, Chuck Commanda from Kitiga Zibi First Nation, Larry McDermott from Sharbot Obajiwinan First Nation, and Plenty Canada Summer Students hosted a gathering to share the language, stories, and teachings of the Anishinaabeg people. The opportunity to educate non-Indigenous youth was seized, as Biosphere Education joined the gathering. Biosphere Education is an organization dedicated to preserving Earths beautiful creatures through storytelling and photo journalism, and for this year’s expedition four youth, led by biologist Dr. Shelley Ball, joined an on-going project to better understand how climate change may affect wild rice, or as it is known by the Anishninaabeg people, Manoomin. By bringing together knowledge holders and the biosphere youth expedition, we created a cross-cultural dialogue that helped gain a deeper understanding of biodiversity for all attendees. Students helped Plenty Canada complete a benthic invertebrate diversity index for McCullochs Mud Lake, a nearby provincially significant wetland, that is home to species at risk such as the Least bittern, and Black tern. This data will be shared in a final report that highlights Manoomin, and how climate change may affect this sacred, and only cereal native to North America.
0 Comments
Chuck Commanda and Cole Williams take the birchbark canoe they built for its maiden voyage. On July 20, 2018 master birchbark canoe maker Chuck Commanda and his apprentice Cole Williams, with the assistance of Murphy's Point Provincial Park employees, successfully launched a birchbark canoe that was created over a two week period at the park. The canoe launch event included a smudge ceremony, passing of the eagle feather, and guest speaker Larry McDermott, Executive Director of Plenty Canada.
You can read the full story posted by the Perth Courier Newspaper HERE You can find our full album of photos from the day on our Facebook page |