Imagine a shovel worthy business park. Happy gichi-anidoo-giizis (Big Spirit Moon) - 25 Jan 2024

Anishinabek Nation Giizisoo-Mzinigan Niizhing Mdaaswak-Shi-Niizhtana-Shi-Niiwin Monthly Calendar 2024

Happy gichi-anidoo-giizis (Big Spirit Moon)!

“The moon around January is known as Great Spirit Moon because it is a time to honor the silence and realize our place in all of creation. We are only a part of creation; we are humble. Food helps us find the bond and connection between the spirit world and the physical world. The food that we eat comes from the contributions of land, water, animals, plants and many other living beings. In that way, our food has a spirit. Bringing food into our bodies gives us physical and spiritual sustenance and connects us with all of creation. By recognizing this, we use one of our seven grandfather teachings, dabaadendiziwin, humility.

Manido Miijim (spirit Food), Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan

And enjoy a listen to gichi-manidoo-giizis nagomowin (January song).

Grenville Park Little Forest

Rather than continue to maintain a one-acre space as an under utilized expanse of turfgrass, the Grenville Park community decided to plant a small orchard and a Little Forest. The Little Forest will increase biodiversity, help manage stormwater flow, create a noise and visual barrier to Bath Road and reduce the amount of lawn that requires biweekly maintenance 6 months of the year. It will also be a convenient site where students and teachers can study ecology in its many forms.

Read Susie’s full write-up for the 2023 Grenville Park Little Forest.

A brief history of the ecology of the 1000 Islands

Little Forests Kingston is hosting a 30-minute talk by Oliver Reichl about how our region came to be one of the most biodiverse places on the continent. Oliver, who serves on Little Forests Kingston Board of Directors, is the author of a natural heritage review of the Thousand Islands ecosystem.

When: Monday, Feb 19 at 7 pm

Register on Eventbrite

Imagine a shovel worthy business park

How might we reimagine a business park through a shovel-worthy lens? What principles reflect a shovel-worthy approach?

The Indigenous Food Sovereignty Garden Group (IFSGG) has been exploring these questions with the City of Kingston over the past 10 months. Tuesday evening Brandon Forrest and Saru Bawja from the City of Kingston presented a report to Council that included a draft set of shovel-worthy principles for an ecological business park.  

“A shovel-worthy business park seeks to achieve a seven generations stewardship model that encourages people to consider their responsibilities in caring for the land, water, air, and community – now and for the next seven generations (a shared wisdom of Indigenous Knowledge) while also fulfilling the core purpose of the business park in its form and function.”

Shawn Krall and Maureen Buchanan from the IFSGG spoke the collaboration process and draft shovel-worthy principles in this inspiring delegation.

SHAWN

Taanshi. Good evening. My name is Shawn Melnyk and this is Maureen Buchanan. We are here tonight representing the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Garden Group. We support the report completed for the St. Lawrence Business Park expansion and the recommendations within.

MAUREEN

Niin Asinikwe indigoo, mgizi ndoodem, Baawtiing ndoojibaa, maureen Buchanan indizhnikaaz zhaagonaashiimong.

The Indigenous Food Sovereignty Group is a small collectivity of urban Indigenous people and settler allies. Established in 2021, the Garden is next to the planned SLBP park. The land is laid out so that the shared property line of the Proposed Business Park and garden is a seasonal wet area and hedgerow in which Blanding turtles, spring peepers, and songbirds live.  In addition, we also share the sun, the wind, the soil, and the water table with the SLBP.

Over the last three years, we have been in a relationship with the land through ceremony, reviving habitats, and growing food and medicines for communal sharing.  We have planted over 1600 trees and shrubs in two little forests and established pollinator gardens to support native bees, other pollinators, songbirds, and small mammals.  

On behalf of the IFSG group, I want to extend our sincere thanks to you, the council, for the motion that gave Brandon Forrest and his team the mandate to work with us to define a Shovel-Worthy approach – An approach that will support the local ecosystem, preserves, or strengthens urban biodiversity and meets the needs for housing, jobs, and community connection.

Brandon Forrest and Saru Bajwa have been exemplary in building our relationship. Our collaboration is strong, and we are committed to moving the work forward as we work through challenging issues. We share the same goal:  developing evidence-informed and action-oriented Shovel Worthy principles. Our continued participation strengthens this process, and we remain 100% committed.

We also see the potential for this work to lift the words of the City’s Strategic Plan off the page into early adoption and action.

The SW principles will address climate resilience, adaptation, and urban biodiversity strategies. Imagine a business park in which the ecology is preserved and strengthened by pocket forests in the public realm, stormwater ponds that are also healthy wet habitats, and nighttime lighting that supports and does not negatively impact biodiversity.

Imagine a connected community where active transport doesn’t stop at the business park, and families meander along walkways to hear the spring peepers.

Imagine an ecological corridor of connected habitats to the Butternut Creek conservation area. This feature will enable the east end to support biodiversity, absorb heavy rains, and be cooler during numerous hot days over the following decades as the population grows.

Imagine a business park that has adopted green technologies and attracted businesses prepared to be leaders in creating positive change in cities.

Imagine a space that honours and makes visible indigeneity – a great medicine that addresses erasure.

In closing, we thank you for your time and attention.

Chi miigwech

Watch the recordings:

• Shawn and Maureen’s delegation

• Kaitlyn’s delegation

• Brandon Forrest and Saru Bajwa’s staff briefing 

Read an in-progress draft of the Shovel Worthy principles.

What is a promise? Waawiindamaagewin

Isaac Murdoch, an Anishinabek Artist Storyteller, and Change Maker shares teachings about the importance of Natural Law.

“Everything we need is on the land. Everything we need is in those clouds. It’s in the thunder. It’s in the ceremonies… They say that as Anishinaabe people we adopt those laws. We adopt those animals to be our relatives. We adopt those clouds. We adopt those trees and those medicines to become a part of our families so that we understand those laws. That we don’t forget who we really are. And so go out there and adopt. Start making relatives in the forest. Start making relatives all over the lands.”

And promises.

“As we make agreements and treaties, these promises is what carries these into the future for the next generation. So the promise is the basis of any agreement or any treaty that we would have. Waawiindamaagewin. That’s very sacred.”

When watching these videos, we are asked to consider:

• How do natural laws help keep us in good relations with each other? With the environment?

• What happens when we no longer follow these natural laws? What are some consequences we are experiencing today?

• When you make a promise, how can you demonstrate that it comes from your heart?

As we plant little forests, how might we learn from the teachings of Natural Law? How might we demonstrate that our plantings and stewardship come from our hearts?