Come on out on Tuesday, July 1st from 9am - 2pm for Chief Pinesi Day in Edinburgh Park!

This event will be the culmination of an incredible 8-day paddle from Deep River to Ottawa that will retrace Chief Pinesi's traditional hunting grounds. There will be a sacred fire at 9am, a smudging ceremony at noon, followed by a wonderful afternoon of drumming, dancing, singing, and a land tour of the Chief Pinesi Portage Trail. This event is being organized and supported by the Algonquins of Pikwakanagin First Nation, Kichi Sibi Trails, the New Edinburgh Community Alliance, the Chrichton Community Council and the City of Ottawa.

Chief Pinesi (1768-1834) was the Grand Chief of the Algonquins during the time Europeans began establishing settlements in the Algonquin territory. Prior to European settlement, Chief Pinesi's hunting grounds were covered by forests, and his people would travel by canoe in summer. As he witnessed settler deforestation, logging, farming, destruction of wildlife, and the creation of the dam and the Rideau Canal, he dedicated his life to fighting for recognition of Algonquin rights to the traditional land.

CAFES is excited to be in attendance at this important event on July 1st. We will be there with one of our community partners selling White Pine tree seedlings - an important native species for the Algonquin Territory. Be sure to stop by.

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