A new land-based workshop is welcoming U of T community members to deepen their understanding of Indigenous world views, teachings, and connections to the land. Hosted by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII), this outdoor training session takes place at Ziibiing, the new Indigenous landscape at Hart House Green.
“For many people, this is their first time learning about the land they live and work on,” says Andrea Johns, Indigenous Training Coordinator. “We want participants to gain a deeper understanding of Indigenous histories on the land.”
“Land-based teachings are an opportunity to disrupt the narrative that Indigenous peoples were primitive, unsophisticated peoples lacking in culture, technology, agriculture, and systems of governance,” adds John Croutch, Indigenous Training Coordinator.
At the same time, the training provides an opportunity for community members to engage meaningfully with Ziibiing, which was created in response to the first call to action in Answering the Call: Wecheehetowin, the final report of the Steering Committee for the U of T Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
Open to students, faculty members, staff, and librarians, the workshop uses the physical elements of Ziibiing to explore a variety of topics. For instance, the cultural markers help introduce the concept of the four directions, while the gardens inspire dialogue about native plants and their traditional uses.
The importance of water is also central to the training and the space itself. Named using the Anishinaabemowin word for “river,” Ziibiing marks the path of Taddle Creek, which is buried under the St. George campus. Each time it rains, the water is directed to mimic a stream across the landscape.
The session also incorporates ceremonial elements such as smudging and a tobacco teaching.
“Because John is Anishinaabe and I’m Mohawk/Kanien’kehá:ka and part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, we have different teachings based on our cultural backgrounds,” Johns explains. “So we give participants a little bit of exposure to the diversity of Indigenous teachings, protocols, and ceremonies.”
This summer, Johns and Croutch delivered a pilot version of the workshop and were struck by the ways that being outdoors enhanced the teaching and learning experience.
“In the classroom, people are sometimes afraid to put up their hands in case they’re wrong, but outside, people are more relaxed and open to new ideas,” says Croutch, who has provided Indigenous cultural competency training to more than 10,000 U of T community members since 2018.
He likens the experience to land-based learning for children, which allows young people to engage with the natural environment through play. “I think land-based learning brings out the child in adults as well,” he says. “Nature inspires that curiosity.”
Johns agrees. “We saw people laughing, interacting, and building relationships,” she says. “No one is rushing out at the end like they do in a classroom. People want to spend more time outside.”
Additionally, land-based learning grounds participants in the four dimensions of Indigenous knowledge by engaging them physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
“Engaging those four aspects in balance and harmony is a key concept for Indigenous peoples,” says Croutch. “To see non-Indigenous peoples experiencing that is transformative – not just for them, but for us as well. It legitimizes our ways of being.”
The Sept. 17 session of the Ziibiing – Land-Based Workshop is now full; however, additional dates will be added this fall. To stay up-to-date on upcoming events and workshops, subscribe to the Office of Indigenous Initiatives’ monthly newsletter.