Water Blessing and Giving Thanks for Our Trees Ceremony

On Thursday November 1st, 2018, the preschool children were invited to Seneca College to partake in a water blessing that is performed once a year.  This celebration is a moment to reflect on what the earth has provided to us and a moment for us to give thanks for the trees and the water we have.  The children were given the opportunity to learn how the Indigenous culture gives thanks for the nature that surrounds them. The members of the group opened up the day in singing their cultural songs.  During the discussions the children learned the value of water and trees; how it benefits us in life.  For example, the water; we use for bathing, for watering the plants, for drinking, etc.  The trees, they provide shelter and clean air for us to breathe.  The children helped to give thanks for the water and trees by engaging in the blessing ceremony.

To give thanks for the trees we have, the children used a brass bowl and collected water from the lake.  The brass bowl purifies the water.  Once the water is collected, the children took the bowl to water the ‘grandfather and grandmother’ trees in the forest.  These two trees are almost 100 years old.

To give thanks for the water, the children sprinkled tobacco, a medicinal plant, onto a piece of bark and placed the bark into the water.

After the water blessing, the children were able to explore the forest, interact with nature and the environment around them.

Thank you to  First Peoples at Seneca College for inviting the preschool children to experience a special moment in the celebration of the water ceremony and blessing.