Many thousands of years ago, Indigenous people lived, worked, played, and worshipped on this land. Over time, settlers from other lands came, sometimes sharing, often destroying, the relationship Indigenous peoples had with the water, land, and skies, with their Elders, families, culture, and faith. Today, as Settlers, we are repenting and relearning how to care tenderly and respectfully for all that God has given both Indigenous people and Settlers. We give thanks to the Mississauga’s of Scugog Island First Nation and the Chippewa’s of Georgina Island First Nations for their faithful stewardship of the land and the lessons they continue to teach.

Written by Laura J. Turnbull, Penticton, B.C. p, 30.