Shebahonaning means “canoe passage” in Anishinaabemowin, and refers to the sheltered channel created by George Island at the town of Killarney. (The name Shebahonaning was arbitrarily changed to “Killarney'' by the postal service in the 1850s.)
Many Indigenous peoples in this region descend from Anishinaabe ancestors, who have been residents and caretakers of this land for thousands of years. These ancestors include the Ojibwe (Chippewa), the Odawa (Ottawa), the Algonquians, and the Potawatomi. Many Métis families have also called Killarney home since the early 1800’s.
I would like to acknowledge that we are on the ancestral lands of these peoples, currently including the Wikwemikong Anishinabek, the Anishinabek of Whitefish River, the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, the Sagamok Anishnawbek, and the Mississauga First Nations of Blind River. This land is affected by the Robinson-Huron treaty of 1850.
Killarney Provincial Park was formed with help of the Ontario Society of Artists in 1964. Much work has been done to heal the environmental damage caused by resource extraction, including far-reaching acid rain from industrial smelting in Sudbury.
During this retreat we are indulging in the privileges of recreation and resource usage provided to us by colonial rule. I ask that everyone take time to consider the impact of our environmental footprints, and how we can balance the goals of conservation with the rights of Indigenous peoples as residents and stewards of the land.
I hope you will be inspired to take up the responsibility of reconciliation and environmental stewardship with me! If you have any questions or would like action and learning suggestions, I would be more than happy to chat. :)
