Indigenous Education and Cultural Services conducts land blessing ceremony on campus
On June 11, approximately 40 people gathered at the construction site of the university’s new building (former location of the Student Life and U6 Buildings) to participate in an Indigenous Land Blessing.
Traditional Knowledge Keeper Rick Bourque said a prayer, lit a smudge and conducted a water ceremony for the construction of the new building to start everything off in a good way. Summer work-study student Colin Maracle assisted with the smudging ceremony.
It was a sunny but chilly and breezy morning, so it was nice to see so many people gathered. Participants included staff and faculty from various areas of the university, including:
- Campus Library
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Office of Infrastructure and Sustainability
- Office of Student Life
- Ontario Tech Student Union
These ceremonies are significant. For many years, Indigenous people were unable to perform them because such traditional ceremonies were banned under the discriminatory legislation of Canada's 1876 Indian Act.
