Coyotes, April 9

From Kayley:

We went on an awesome hike in Nose Hill Park. It started off pretty windy and chilly when we first got to the park, but as we hiked on, it got much warmer and alot more sunny -way more enjoyable. We got the chance to use maps as well as compasses to determine the different paths and routes we would take to get around the park (practice for the trip we are going on in late april),and we also got the chance to explore an app called IndigiTRAILS, which gives you the chance to explore an augmented reality (AR) experience that uses GPS technology to immerse users in historical Indigenous stories. We were able to  play lots of fun games like camouflage, tag, and many other super cool games at the different areas on the hike we stopped at. We got to experience the amazing views of the city from afar, and had a beautiful view of the rocky mountains as well. In my opinion the hike back was much more pleasant because the sun had finally come out and the wind had died down for the most part. My favourite part was playing sniper in the forage (Although my hair had so many twigs and leaves in it when I got home 🙁).

Also, this week, please bring what you can find out about the land we are going to: what nations have lived there, and are there any Treaties? You can try https://native-land.ca/ and the Canadian Encyclopedia gives a background on land rights: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/indigenous-territory . Take a map that you're familiar with, and see if you can locate the Elk Lakes Hut by comparing the two.

Eventually, we'll be writing our own Land Acknowledgements, talking about where we come from and how we connect to this land. Murray Sinclair, of one the judges with the TRC, says the most important questions we can ask are: "Where do I come from?", "Where am I going?", "Why am I here?", and "Who am I?" So, we begin to ask these questions together!

Thoughts on how to write a land acknowledgement:

1. Begin with how you got here (Calgary) and your relationshp with this land. When did your family move here? From Where?

2. Treaty area: how do you benefit from the treaty, and what do you know about the treaty?

3. Whose traditional territory do you live on?

4. What actions do you currently take or want to take to be a part of reconciliation?

Or, any variation of this! It's a work in progress, and we can work on it together too. We're never done with the acknowlegement, it grows with us!

Lasty, you can bring your backpacking backpack with heavy items inside for a weighted walk!