A Healing Field Trip

The Table Winnipeg

I’m guessing, but my guess is that “healing” wasn’t likely included as a reason for most of the field trips any of us have been on. Personally, I can think of one noteworthy exception, which is the last time we gathered as a group at the Kapabamayak Achaak Healing Forest. This Sunday we are planning to revisit that experience, with some additional guides. Details as follows:

For anyone that was not able to join us last year, the forest is located in St John’s Park, near the corner of Fowler St and Anderson Ave – across from St John’s Cathedral. I’ve included a Google link to that location at the bottom of the email. If you are new to the Healing Forest, or simply want a refresher in advance of our gathering, there’s more info in the rest of the blurb.

This is how the keepers of the Kapabamayak Achaak Healing Forest describe the reason it exists:

Kapabamayak Achaak Healing Forest honors Indigenous children lost to or affected by the residential school system, and offers a place for learning and teaching about all injustices from colonialism and racism, past and present. The sharing of our collective stories is a pathway to understanding All Our Relations.

We will be guided in our learning this Sunday by both a “forest keeper” (in this case, Kyle Mason, who was with us last year), and by Elder Don Robinson. Don is an Elder who has been an important person in Theresa’s journey, and is someone I believe will have some deep wisdom for us to learn from.

Other details:
Time: We will meet at the location described above (and linked at the end of this email) at our usual time – 10:45 a.m.
Environment: This is what people in the concert industry call an “all weather event”. We will be outdoors the entire time, so plan things like how you dress, what the Little’s needs might be and what you bring accordingly. There is a fair bit of built-in seating in the space, but you may also wish to bring a blanket or lawn chairs to augment what is there.
Agenda: The content of our time will be guided by the Forest Keeper and Elder. It’s hard to say precisely how long it will be, but we will be done no later than 12:00 noon.
Parking: There is free parking on the streets right beside the park
Bathrooms: There are bathrooms available in the church that will be accessible for our use, as required. They are nearby, but not directly beside the healing forest so wear your comfy shoes.

Additional Information:
You can learn more and get a look at the space here.

For a Google link to the location, click here.

I am very excited about this. I know it can be a bit of an “extra” to come to a new location, be outside, etc, but I also know that our time together last year was a very meaningful one that I still often reference in both my own thinking and my interactions with others, particularly regarding matters of reconciliation. My thanks to Brent Johnson who has taken the lead on this from the start, and to Theresa for connecting us with Don Robinson and continuing to keep these themes in view in our life as a community.

If you have any questions, please be in touch.

I’ll see you Sunay.

Peace,

Tim Plett