Winter Rest Retreat

A pause to acknowledge Wellness in the Woods operates on borrowed land.
We acknowledge that our retreats take place on the traditional and unceded territory of the Anishinaabeg, specifically the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Pottawatomi Nations, who form part of the historic Three Fires Confederacy.

Manitoulin Island, known as “Mnidoo Mnis” (Spirit Island) in Anishinaabemowin, has long been a sacred place of gathering, healing, and ceremony for these Nations. We recognize their profound and enduring connection to this land, its waters, and all living beings. We are grateful for the opportunity to gather and learn on these ancestral lands and are committed to fostering respect, understanding, and reconciliation in our work and interactions.

As a settler operating on this borrowed land, I am personally committed to a journey of learning and respect. As I deepen my own connection to the wild and to my body, I am continually guided by the inherent wisdom of these lands and the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded them for generations. Their intimate connection to Earth's cycles and reciprocal living offers profound lessons that many of us, as settlers, strive to reclaim. I commit to ongoing learning about the Indigenous history of Manitoulin Island, to honoring their traditions, and to ensuring that my work never appropriates their rich cultural heritage. I am a student on this land, and I promise to approach this learning with humility and dedication.