Circles for Reconciliation has been in partnership with Peter Croal and Patricia Stirbys, Co-Founders of the National Healing Forest Initiative. There is a healing forest named “Kapabamayak Achaak (Wandering Spirit) Healing Forest” located in the north section of St. John’s Park in Winnipeg. The park is on the corner of Mountain and Main Street facing the river. It’s a gathering place for reconciliation by remembering the past and envisioning the future.
You can find artwork on boulders, a circle for reflection, trees, and so much more. Take time for a visit and see the different sites around Treaty One Territory-the traditional land of the ininew (Cree), Anishinabe (Ojibwe), Anishiniw (Ojibwe), Dakota and Dene people as well as the Birthplace of the Métis Nation and the Heart of the Métis Homeland.
Visit their website: www.healingforestwpg.org; Here are a few lines from their site:
The Healing Forest is a living memorial to Indigenous children lost to or affected by the residential school system, located in St. John’s Park in the North End of Winnipeg.
Site development began in 2017 in collaboration with the Healing Forest Winnipeg Steering Committee and Community Elders.
It was the second Healing Forest developed in Canada and is part of a growing network of sites linked by the National Healing Forest Initiative.
The Keepers of the Forest are working with neighbourhood schools and communities to develop a living curriculum to learn about medicine plants and Indigenous teachings. A small resource library is also available.
Land, Learn, Heal: A Path to Reconciliation
Mission
Kapabamayak Achaak Healing Forest honours Indigenous children lost to or affected by the residential school system, and offers a place for teaching and learning about all injustices from colonialism and racism, past and present. The sharing of our collective stories is a pathway to understanding All Our Relations.