Learning from the Land
Forty people gathered for a time of the on-the-land learning at Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre in Beausejour, Man., Feb. 28. The event brought together a wide network of participants — Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders, ministry partners, educators, and community members — all drawn by a shared desire to learn from the land and from one another.
“It all came together well,” said Adrian Jacobs. Due to some travel complications because of weather and changing attendance numbers, the gathering was slightly delayed (by a half-hour), but the group was open to moving at a pace shaped by relationships rather than schedules.
Representatives came from organizations including 1JustCity, Canadian Mennonite University, A Rocha Manitoba, Indigenous Christian Fellowship, and Indigenous Family Centre. Jacobs said, “the collection of people who were there was really excellent”; the group was “empathetic to and aligned with Indigenous concerns about things like food sovereignty and the environment.”
The gathering began, as many Indigenous teaching events do, with ceremony. Participants entered the day by learning about and participating in the Indigenous practice of smudging, recognizing that this practice can also be incorporated into a time of Christian prayer. This time helped ground participants spiritually before moving into a time of learning. Jacobs then shared the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address, followed by introductions and an overview of what the day would hold.
The timing of the gathering was significant, he explained. In the Haudenosaunee cycle of thanksgiving ceremonies, early spring marks seed-blessing time. Drawing from this tradition, participants received teaching about seeds, planting, and the relationships between land, food, and community. Stories of the Three Sisters — corn, beans, and squash — connected directly to their lunch: a hearty three-sisters stew served with bannock and jam.
Throughout the morning, teachings and stories emphasized that learning on the land is intellectual, relational, and spiritual—and that this practice can be valuable to Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples alike. Participants heard about the history of the land and the development of the retreat centre’s gardens, which now provide fruits and vegetables used to feed retreat guests.
Cree elder Stan McKay, Jr., from Fisher River Cree First Nation, Man., joined with participants by Zoom to share teachings about the start of the garden and its effect, grounding the gathering in both memory and lived practice.
Jacobs said that as conversations unfolded, something unexpected became clear. “Our conclusion was that God was using the land to heal us. It wasn’t something we set out to do; it was something that just happened.”
Participants exchanged stories, ideas, and experiences from their own cultural and religious perspectives. The conversations reflected Jacobs’ vision, he said, for what on-the-land learning could become: “Between all the people who came and the conversations that happened over snack and lunch, the conversations were really good. It’s what I envision on-the-land learning to be — people who are local to the area, getting some good knowledge, having good input, doing things together.”
One of the most tangible expressions of the shared learning at this gathering came through a seed exchange. The Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre provided seed packages. “One side of the package of seeds had a description of the plant. The other side had a recipe,” Jacobs said.
Jacobs noted that there was meaningful representation from a variety of communities, and Indigenous leadership helped to shape the tone of the day. The gathering fostered the kind of space he hopes on-the-land learning will continue to create, an atmosphere rooted in shared responsibility and mutual learning.
Jennifer Klyne, program manager at Indigenous Christian Fellowship, a CRCNA-supported ministry in Regina, Sask., said, “It was an honor to attend the Sandy Saulteaux on-the-land learning gathering and to sit together in a circle, where each voice was respected and heard. I appreciated the openness in holding space for both Indigenous spiritual teachings and Christian beliefs with honesty and care.”
For all who attended, the impact was clear, indicated Shannon Perez, executive director of Indigenous Family Centre, a CRCNA-supported ministry in Winnipeg, Man. She said that participants “appreciated the opportunity to learn and hear about the seed-blessing ceremony and the prayers that went with it.”
By the end of the day, learning was not focused just on presentations or programming, said organizers. Seeds had been exchanged, meals shared, stories told, and relationships begun or strengthened. The gathering offered a glimpse of what ongoing on-the-land learning can look like as a practice that grows year by year.
