National Healing Forests. Imagine woodlands setting(s) for health, wellness, understanding, and respect across cultures.
Reconciliation through Healing Forests
A forest can help people heal and connect them with nature. With this in mind, Peter Croal (retired CIDA Environment Specialist) and Patricia Stirbys (legal and Indigenous Relations specialist) – inspired by the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission report and its Calls to Action to strengthen relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples – developed the National Healing Forests initiative. A Healing Forest project brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous neighbours to plan and develop green spaces where survivors and families of the Residential School legacy, as well as all Canadians, can heal, do ceremony, reflect, discuss and meditate. This reconciliation project is community-led and totally grassroots.
This presentation outlines a brief history of the residential school system and explains how communities and institutions can create their own Healing Forest space for reconciliation.
We are grateful for this presentation by Patricia Stirbys (Indigenous relations specialist) and Peter Croal (P. Geol. International Environment and Development Advisor), co-founders of the National Healing Forests initiative.
This virtual connection provides a time to learn more about the National Healing Forests in this era of Truth and Reconciliation.
This program for National Forest Week is brought to you by the Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas an environmental non-profit charity that was created to preserve and restore the 326-acre Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area and the 148-acre George Genereux Urban Regional Park. Our work reinforces the 1972 City Council decision designating these afforestation areas on the western fringe of Saskatoon to “be preserved in perpetuity.” They are important habitat for wildlife as well as semi-wild public spaces for recreation and nature immersion. The larger of these two areas is named after Richard St. Barbe Baker (1889-1982), who has been called the “first global conservationist” and in recognition of this he was made the first Honorary Life Member of the World Wildlife Fund in 1969. A British forester who also homesteaded and studied in Saskatoon, he dedicated his entire life unfailingly to the preservation and planting of trees and forests.
Friends of the Saskatoon Afforestation Areas are proud to bring to you this series of events for National Forest Week Theme “Our forests – Continually giving” Saturday September 18, 2021 to Sunday September 26, 2021 Commemorating and celebrating Maple Leaf Day September 22, 2021
This is one session in a week long series of events celebrating National Forest Week with a theme – “Our Forests – Continually Giving”
