Land Acknowledgement
TORONTO, Indigenous Territory-Aki
Toronto has been a site of human activity for 15,000 years. The land is the territory of the Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. The territory was the subject of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and Confederacy of the Anishinaabe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. Today, the meeting place of Toronto is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island. Natural Curiosity is grateful to be learning and working in this territory.
Revised by the Elders Circle (Council of Aboriginal Initiatives, First Nations House, University of Toronto) on November 6, 2014.
The Natural Curiosity team also frequently references this Living Land Acknowledgement written by the students at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, and are deeply grateful to the students, educators, and local Indigenous partners who supported supported the creation of this living document.
Our Team
Haley Higdon
Program Director
Haley Higdon is a guest on Turtle Island and is the Program Director of Natural Curiosity. Haley was the managing editor for the development and creation of Natural Curiosity 2nd Edition: The Importance of Indigenous Perspectives in Children’s Environmental Inquiry. Combining her classroom teaching experience and strong commitment to environmental sustainability, Haley has provided hundreds of professional learning experiences for educators across Canada and beyond, demonstrating an inquiry-based approach to experiential environmental education that can in turn be applied in any learning environment.
A place in the natural world that Haley feels most connected to:
Most recently, Haley feels connected to the backyard of her childhood home. It began as a rectangular plot of grass and over time her mother slowly transformed it into a wild space with indigenous plants to attract pollinators, local birds, and wildlife. The recent death of her mother has brought Haley back to this place to reflect on its transformation over the years. It has reminded her that connections to the natural world are possible in the heart of the city and there are ways to give back to our non-human relatives even in the smallest of backyards.
Christian Haddad
Program Assistant
Christian is a human being, a storyteller, an islander, and growing roots (5 years) here on Turtle Island. He is an artist, proud Jamaican, professionally curious, and inspired by Ontario forests. He loves games that mimic stories in nature, and the deepening questions that can follow. From community centres and children's homes in Jamaica to outdoor schools in Ontario, he uses music, dance, and theatre to connect kids to the world around them. On the journey of learning circular forms of learning/living, his intention is to be curious, kind, share what he can, and listen carefully to his environment.
Place in the natural world that Christian feels most connected to:
Where the Eramosa river flows towards the city of Guelph, cutting under cooks mill rd. Near the Old Reformatory land, there are forests and wonderful creatures in them! Christian's spent many moons alive and well there. Through fall, snow, melt, rise, and summers. The animals remind Christian often that life is funny and mysterious. This land he holds close in his heart; a common Canadian coniferous wonderland. Plus, eastern cedar families mingle with buckthorn bands, where mouse tracks lead him across hibernaculums and hummingbird moths.
Shamina Shaheen
Graduate Assistant
Shamina is a guest on Turtle Island and a doctoral researcher in Developmental Psychology and Education at the University of Toronto (OISE). Her research centers on Indigenous youth well-being, and she continues to learn Indigenous languages and land-based pedagogies. She is committed to collaborations that advance Indigenous education, youth development, and equity-oriented program design.
A place in the natural world that Andreas feels most connected to:
The place in the natural world Shamina feels most connected to is a young cherry plum tree growing outside her townhouse. After the original red maple died and a newly planted sapling was accidentally cut in half, its quiet regrowth became a living reminder of resilience and renewal for her. Through seasons of rain, snow, and sun, the tree’s persistence mirrors her own journey of healing and hope. It stands as a small but powerful companion in her daily life, rooted in the same ground where she continues to rebuild and grow.
Georgia Noble Irwin
Work Study Student
Georgia is a guest on Turtle Island and a teacher candidate in the MA CSE program at the Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study. With a background in arts-based and outdoor education, she has led canoe trips and supported youth in developing confidence, curiosity, and connection to the land. Georgia is committed to creating inclusive, relationship-centred learning environments and to making outdoor education more accessible.
A place in the natural world that Georgia feels most connected to:
There are too many to pick one! But I feel very grateful to have spent many summers tripping in Algonquin Park, the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg people. There is nothing more grounding than the lapping of water against a canoe, the cold of the lake on your ankles after a long portage, or the sound of laughter across the campfire at sunset.
Work Study Student
Laura Ross
Laura is a guest on Turtle Island and a first-year Master of Teaching candidate. She recently completed a Bachelors of Environmental Studies with a minor in Indigenous Studies
at the University of Waterloo. With a background in outdoor and environmental education, she has a passion for increasing society’s connection to the natural world. Laura is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for curiosity and learning.
A place in the natural world that Andreas feels most connected to:
Lake Temagami will always have a special place in my heart as I spent many formative years at an overnight summer camp in the region. I fell in love with the peace and beauty of nature through my experiences at Lake Temagami.
Work Study Student
Anikka Salandran
Anikka (she/her) is a guest on Turtle Island. She is a second year student in the MA Child Study and Education program at the Eric Jackman institute of Child Study. With a background in adaptive instruction and literacy, she is also passionate about continuing to learn about Indigenous education, perspectives, and ways of knowing to strengthen her teaching practice. Anikka is committed to fostering curiosity, wonder, and a deeper connection to the natural world through Indigenous perspectives, outdoor learning, and meaningful experiences on the land.
A place in the natural world that Andreas feels most connected to:
Killbear National Park is near and dear to my heart. As a child, I spent every summer camping there for years. My parents used to camp there with their friends before I was born, and once they had me they wanted to continue the tradition! We used to hike the various trails and enjoy the beautiful Georgian Bay with a paddleboard or just dip our toes in. I miss looking up at the sky at night and seeing it full of stars, something I never see in the city.
Joelle Lui
Work Study Student
Joelle (she/her) is a first-year Teacher Candidate in the MA Child Study and Education program at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study and a guest on Turtle Island, with a background in outdoor recreation, nature-based, and adventure-based education. With a Bachelor's degree in Media Production and Design, Joelle blends visual storytelling with community engagement and connection in outdoor spaces, where you will find her enthusiastically teaching others how to tell stories through photography while also taking some herself.
A place in the natural world that Andreas feels most connected to:
I’ve always felt connected to Ontario’s native wildlife and plants, especially in places where you would least expect them. I often look for native plants and wildlife, especially birds and edible plants, in urban landscapes, parks, and trails to observe how they have adapted to a constantly changing environment.
Natural Curiosity
Program Advisors
