There's little place left to to be Indigenous

As we made our way along the shorelines from Lake Superior through Sault Sainte Marie and along the North Channel, we were greeted by the true 'Canadian' outdoor experience. 

Snaking Islands covered with trees of a long passed mountain range, clear waters (save for Genabaajiing -- a community plagued by radioactive waste), and a cool spring breeze. We travesered the north shore with haste as we had already been there before. 

Perhaps we may have even taken advantage of its beauty and of being able to be Indigenous freely, inconsequentially and without reservation. As we travelled South along the Bruce Peninsula, things began to change as we knew they would. 

Posted signs of no trespassing, industrious cottagers and there forever leeching into unsoiled lands. Decks, patios even garden gnomes make way for the ever expanding development of modernity. The infamous escape from Toronto. 

Farther south even the trees disappear almost entirely and in their places big agriculture takes their place. To close our eyes and breath in to remember that these were once lands of northern Carolinian forest, marshes and wetlands. 

We think of the Great migration of birds, the nesting of turtles and the swarms of fish. We also come to think of the Anishinaabe and Huron peoples that once lived here. At the end of this we came to think of our immediate danger. 

Our hearts need to be guarded. Our dreams and prayers for a world renewed have to be quietly tucked away. There's no where (we soon came to realize) left to be Indigenous. 

Being in the canoe it's obvious. Things cannot really be hidden by seeing things from the perspective of the Water. Row after row of cottages turn permanent households; these quiet little towns then became a stronghold of old time Canadian ideals. Everything is blue here and I don't mean the Water. 

In fact even turbulent Erie is marred by years of environmental degradation and negligence. What's more is we're told not to stay on the shoreline, were told that this is private property. That our case for Water is not enough to warrant safe passage. That our ties to inherent treaty rights (or clearly communicated documented treaty rights) is not enough. 

When we mention ceremony people become crossed eyed and flounder with there conservative words. When we mention 'We do it for the Water' they wince -- we suspect they too know the extent of current stressors on the Great Lakes. 

Still we will continue on to find our refuge next to the Blandings Turtle and Lake Erie Watersnake. We'll continue on knowing that Indigenous can be inward. It can emanate out guiding the path forward, it can even help others remember theirs. 

For the foreseeable future we will be Indigenous at night when we're safe from racism, private ownership and high industrism. We'll be Indigenous when no one's looking.