Submitted by Moira Parker,
Sources of Knowledge
Fire: Respect, Knowledge, Balance is the theme of this year’s Sources of Knowledge (SOK) Forum, running October 24–26 in Tobermory. For millennia, fire has been both teacher and test, central to how we live, gather, and make sense of the world, and increasingly a force that reshapes communities under a changing climate. This year’s forum brings together Indigenous knowledge holders, scientists, firefighters, foresters and community leaders to explore that double-edged story and what it means for the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula today.
Friday night is your invitation to come close to the flame—literally and figuratively. The evening opens at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre with a sacred fire at 5:00 p.m., kindled by Saugeen Ojibway Nation firekeeper David Roote. At 6:00 p.m. a Wine & Cheese social welcomes neighbours and visitors alike, with forum registration open 6:00–9:00 p.m. We’ll gather at 7:00 p.m. for a welcome, land acknowledgement, and prayer, followed by Indigenous Stories of Fire with David Roote, and “Fire & Water” with Elder Teresa Roote at 7:30 p.m., teachings that frame fire as both sacred and practical in this place.
At 8:00 p.m.., the evening’s feature talk “Around the Hearth” will be delivered by Dr. Michael Chazan, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Toronto. A Paleolithic archaeologist specializing in human evolution (PhD, Yale University), Dr. Chazan has co-directed research for the past two decades at Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa, the site that has produced some of the earliest reliable evidence for the use of fire by human ancestors. Drawing on that research and on his other work, including his Routledge book, The Reality of Artifacts: An Archaeological Perspective, Chazan traces our enduring human and cultural relationship with fire, from Stone Age hearths to the present. He explores fire as the center of warmth and gathering, a sacred focal point, and a driver of social and economic change. Then he will turn to fire in our future, how a warming climate and intensifying wildfires challenge communities, and how reframing our personal relationship with fire can inform preparedness, stewardship, and policy on the Peninsula and beyond.
The Friday evening event sets the tone for the weekend, pairing Indigenous teachings and human history, then turning toward the present. It’s also a chance to meet speakers and fellow participants in an informal setting before Saturday’s technical sessions on local fire ecology, wildfire response and resilience. Expect voices from Parks Canada, municipal fire services, forestry centres and more across the weekend.
If you want to start earlier on Friday, join the Peninsula Bruce Trail Club at 1:30 p.m. for a guided hike at the Vanishing Streams Nature Reserve to learn how prescribed burning supports meadow restoration. The outing is led by Brian Popelier, Land Stewardship Coordinator with the Bruce Trail Conservancy. Space is limited to 20 people, so if you would like to join the hike please plan ahead.
More details, prices, and registration are available on the SOK site, www.sourcesofknowledge.ca. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone in Tobermory, around the hearth on Friday night at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre, and throughout the weekend as we listen, learn, and connect.
