Wiijindamaan 2024 Fall Feast

Shé:kon, Aaniin, Boozhoo, Waciye!

The Wiijindamaan Land Restoration Team, Conestoga College and the City of Kitchener invite you to our annual Fall Feast and planting celebrating this gardening season, the Fall harvest and the community’s progress on Wiijindamaan, an Indigenous Land-based Futurity.

Our annual gathering will begin with planting Paw Paw, Serviceberry, Elderberry and Hazelnut groves, and aronia and sour cherry hedgerows on the Wiijindamaan Land. In the afternoon, we will have 4 Workshops taught by our Researchers covering Biochar, Species Biodiversity, Seed Collection Methods and Invasive Species.

The evening will feature a mouth-watering assortment of Indigenous-inspired dishes with ingredients from across Turtle Island.

We are grateful to have Chef Destiny from Cedar Spoon prepare and serve the feast. We are excited to have Eric Jackson and the Willow River Band play for us.

The schedule is as follows:

Saturday, October 5th

8:30 AM: Opening by Elder Mary Anne Caibaiosai

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Tree planting

12:00 - 1:00 PM: Lunch

1:00 - 4:00 PM: Workshops

5:00 - 9:00 PM: Feast!

Parking is at the top of the hill at at Pioneer Tower. Our Workshops and Feast will be at the bottom of the hill located on the map below.

Please bring your feast bundles (plates/cutlery). Anyone participating in tree planting should bring gloves, boots, water, snacks and bug spray. You are welcome to join us at any time and we hope to see you there!

* *Note** Please comment when ordering tickets if you have dietary restrictions or food allergies and we will do our best to accommodate you. We also have a UTV for the walk and can do a separate land tour for those who have mobility issues. Please RSVP by Thursday, October 3rd.

Warm Regards,

The Wiijindamaan Land Restoration Team

Wijindamaan: An Indigenous Land-based Futurity, is the innovative development and application of urban land co-management strategies rooted in traditional Indigenous land-based practices and knowledges to create a 200 acre restoration project securing sustainable, traditional food and medicines, increasing local biodiversity through habitat restoration and reintroduction of native species, building community capacity, mobilizing knowledge, and exercising land co-management and relational agricultural practices on the land.

Host or Publisher Wiijindamaan, Wisahkotewinowak Indigenous Gardening Collective, Conestoga