NBP Truth & Reconciliation Group Hosting Second Listening Circle June 10th
Submitted by Graham Bland,
Northern Bruce Peninsula Truth and Reconciliation Group
On June 10th from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., at the Tobermory Community Centre, the Northern Bruce Peninsula Truth and Reconciliation group is inviting the community into a second Listening Circle. The Listening Circles seek to foster healthy relationships in our Peninsula community. We will reflect together on the question: Whose land is it?
This question does not arise only in response to indigenous lawsuits about the restoration or re-affirmation of title to stolen lands. It is also about the privileges and responsibilities that ‘title’ brings.
‘Whose land is it?’ is a question as old as the myriad human societies that have populated every part of the Earth for millennia. Every society answers it differently.
In our society, for instance, land ownership is mostly private, with some lands being owned by towns, provinces or the state, isn’t that right? Well, it’s not exactly that simple.
‘Private’ land is available for private use only as long as ‘owners’ pay their taxes and abide by the laws that regulate the use of the land. While we do not usually think about land in this way, all land is public land and its use is governed by the ‘laws of the land’.
What the old Woody Guthrie song declares may be true: “This Land is your land, this land is my land; this land was made for you and me”. The land is ours.
You may say, “Wait a minute … this piece of land is mine, not yours!” Yes, but only to an extent … The land is entrusted to your care for the time being. En-title-ment comes with conditions set by all of us.
‘Whose Land Is It?’ Our Circle may offer to us surprising new insights about our relationships with the land and with the other living beings who share the land with us.
The Listening Circles are to help us to learn to listen well to one another about things that matter to all of us. Truth and Reconciliation is founded on the fact that we all inhabit this beautiful piece of Earth and we want to live here together in a good way. We seek a community of mutual respect, where we truthfully acknowledge our differences and courageously face our challenges together.
