President Wendy Jocko:
Respected board members, honored guests, and dedicated
supporters of Kichi Sibi Trails,
Welcome to our first Annual General Meeting. As we gather
here today, we stand at the confluence of ancient wisdom and
modern purpose, much like the rivers that have shaped our lands
and our stories for millennia.
This past June, we embarked on an epic journey that was more
than just a canoe trip from Oka to Ottawa. It was a pilgrimage
along the veins of our ancestors, a reconnection with the
waterways that have sustained Indigenous peoples since time
immemorial.
As we paddled, each stroke brought us closer to our mission of
revitalizing the Ancient Indigenous Trails that crisscross Ontario
and Western Quebec.
The warm welcomes we received from local officials and
communities along our route were not just gestures of
hospitality; they were affirmations of the shared vision we all
hold for these lands.
Every greeting, every shared meal, every story exchanged was a
testament to the enduring spirit of community that these trails
have always fostered.
As we reflect on this journey, we are reminded that our work is
not just about preserving paths through the wilderness.
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Kitchi Sibi Trails-AGM Thursday 14 November 2024 at 8 p.m.
It’s about rekindling the connections between communities,
between generations, and between humans and the natural
world.
The trails we seek to revitalize are more than routes of travel;
they are lifelines of culture, conduits of trade, and bridges
between nations.
Today, as we convene our first AGM, we carry with us the
momentum of that journey, the blessings of the communities we
encountered, and the responsibility entrusted to us by our
ancestors.
We are not just trailblazers; we are trail-revivers, breathing new
life into ancient ways.
To our board members, your guidance and dedication have been
instrumental in bringing us to this milestone.
To our guests, your presence here is a recognition of the
importance of this work.
Together, we embark on a new phase of our journey – one that
will see these ancient trails not as relics of the past, but as vital
arteries for the future of our communities.
As we proceed with our meeting, let us keep in our hearts the
rhythmic splash of paddles, the whisper of wind through the
trees, and the timeless call of the rivers.
For in those sounds, we hear the voices of our ancestors, urging
us forward on this noble path.
Miigwech. Thank you all for being here. Let us begin.
