Roots

Abstract

Colonialism disconnects Indigenous peoples from their Ancestral lands and waters, which significantly impacts Indigenous Peoples’ spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental wellness (Adelson, 2005; Richmond & Ross, 2009). In Canada, the settler state has designed legal and jurisdictional barriers that continue to restrict access to land and prevent land from being returned to Indigenous Peoples, thereby ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ wellness remains vulnerable to the effects of colonialism (Kim, 2019; Tomiak, 2017). I wrote this poem as an expression of my personal attempts to re-establish a meaningful, reciprocal connection with Land as a mixed-ancestry Algonquin Anishinaabe ikwe with roots in Mattawa/North Bay and community within Katarokwi (greater Kingston, Ontario). Despite the imposed barriers of colonialism, Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island are seeking out ways to reclaim Indigenous lands, connect with Mother Earth, and support their overall wellness.