Reports on Springwater park round dance

By Cheryl Browne, Barrie Examiner March 17, 2013

SPRINGWATER TWP. – One dish, one spoon and a Wampum belt.

The peaceful agreement between First Nations and the Crown officially called the 1785 Collins Treaty, was named locally and colloquially after simple cookware and a string of decorative stones used as a token of trust during negotiations for the sharing of resources.

Ojibway Johnny Hawk knows his treaties. Dressed in a toque covered in hawk feathers and a purple shirt with stark white symbols depicting native unity, Hawk was one of a dozen First Nations members who took part in the Springwater Provincial Park round dance, Sunday.

“The Collins Treaty was an agreement of peaceful existence with guaranteed rights to the natural resources and waterways,” Hawk said matter-of-factly. “In 1785, the Collins Treaty allowed the Crown to use this area as a road for the military. After the War of 1812, we were to have the land back.”

The First Nations Idle No More movement was called back into action this month when it was announced the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) would be closing Springwater park March 31.

Two distinct groups of residents interested in saving the park, Friends of Springwater Provincial Park are busy collecting signatures to send to Premier Kathleen Wynne, and the Save Springwater Provincial Park group is tackling the political end of things locally.

Bringing the First Nation peoples into the park Sunday to perform a native round dance highlighted their vested interest in the park lands.

Hundreds also showed up Saturday for a fundraising event organized by Friends of Springwater Provincial Park.

More than 50 men, women, toddlers and grandparents of all nationalities walked together Sunday from the MNR building on Nursery Road across Highway 26 – with OPP halting traffic – through the woods in the crisp snow and bright sunshine to the park’s large pavilion.

Feet crunched down the snow creating their own path as they circled around the dozen native drummers and singers whose joined voices and beat echoed through the cedars and pines.

Elizabeth Bass Elson, of the Beausoleil Martin clan, addressed the assembled crowd after the round dance celebrations and spoke of the park’s natural beauty.

“We have to be very concerned about the wildlife here, this is their home,” Elson said. “After the Ipperwash inquiry, the federal government made changes to how they would treat First Nations people. But on this land, we have not been consulted about the closure here. We have the right to be heard. And we must be consulted on these matters. Unity is the only way to make change.”

Elson is referring to the Ipperwash Provincial Park dispute in 1995 that erupted in chaos during a police stand-off that saw native Dudley George shot and killed.

Save Springwater Park organizer, Les Stewart, (AWARE Simcoe note: Steward is with Springwater Park Citizens Coalition) said saving the park is unifying First Nations people and settlers in their effort to save the park.

“We need to work with the ministry as March 31 inches forward. We have to continue to build commitment in the community to keep the park open,” Stewart said, referring to the date the MNR has slated for the park to close.

Stewart is hoping the one-year moratorium idea put forward by Springwater Township and supported by the City of Barrie to keep the park open for another year, will allow residents to rally and politicians to get behind the effort to keep the small provincial 100-year-plus park open.

About 29 orphaned animals, ranging from a bear, wolves and white swans, are in danger of losing their home as the ministry attempts to cull its budget of parks with low attendance.

As the ATM at the park gate has been broken for four years, it’s been tough to determine how many people are using the park annually.

 

Letter to the Barrie Examiner March 18, 2013

A march to Springwater Park, including a round dance, had been planned in support of keeping the park operational. What a perfect winter day to celebrate this park and be present to support its continued existence!

Slowly, the sound of drums and chanting voices rose in the distance, the sound steadily building as their approach grew near.

The voices and drums of the First Nations people rose up through the majestic pine trees bordering the park entrance. They were joined by members of the SPCC and others, who have grave concerns about the imminent closing of the park, by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Brightly-coloured flags fluttered proudly above the heads of the marchers: Canadian, First Nations and Ontario.

The solemn and dignified march proceeded rhythmically down the sloping road leading into the park and veered left towards the Vespra Boys Cenotaph. It continued over the bridge and onwards to the main pavilion park, where the group stopped to gather.

A First Nations member garbed in magnificent jingle regalia, holding fanned-eagle feathers and beaded purse, stepped forward to speak. She spoke beautifully of the intimate connection between the First Nations peoples and the land; the need for respect for the land and water, which gives life to all; the importance of caring for and respecting the animals which populate Springwater’s animal sanctuary, which has become their home; our need to respect the land, which sustains us.

The First Nations people have a deep connection to the land on which Springwater is located; it is also encompassed within a number of First Nations treaties. Consultation regarding the imminent closure of this park has not taken place with their peoples. Indeed public consultations of any kind, have simply not been held.

Another second First Nations member also spoke passionately and authoritatively about the importance of protecting our environment, Springwater Park and expressed great concern regarding the declining water levels of the Great Lakes.

The attendees were then asked to join in a round dance to bring increased awareness to the plight of Springwater, express concern for the environment, and to express solidarity amongst all peoples, in caring for the same. The drumming and chanting began.

It is impossible to express the spiritual power of this ancient, rhythmic and mesmerizing chant; the call for the coming together of peoples for a common purpose. It was easy to imagine this very drumming and singing taking place centuries ago, being performed by the ancestors of the First Nations people present.

Today, their descendants’ voices and drumming echoes in time, the song and dance of their forebears.

A shiver went up my spine. I gave thanks for the legacy of a people who maintain great wisdom and sure knowledge about the life-sustaining connection to this land — a lesson that ironically appears to be completely lost on the MNR, to its everlasting shame.

Romaine Miller

Barrie 

 

 

By Romaine Miller Barrie Examiner March 17, 2013 

The Friends of Springwater Park event held at Springwater Park on Saturday, March 16, 2013, received an overwhelming response from the citizens of this community. Parking lots were overflowing. Families and children roamed in large numbers throughout the park. Long line-ups formed to simply gain entry to the park. Cars on Highway 26 waited in the turning lane trying to access the park entrance. Another dynamic event has been organized for tomorrow at 14:00, by the Springwater Park Citizen’s Coalition. The Ministry of Natural Resources decision to close Springwater Provincial Park, is clearly an unpopular one which is not supported by the community. The reason for its closing – or rather as the MNR coyly describes it, “being made non-operational,” has been stated by representatives of the MNR to be a loss of $70,000.00 annually. This figure is in dispute and is merely a ‘drop in the bucket’ when considering: 1. The Ontario budget 2. Monies squandered in the ORNG, EMR and Gas Plant closures. The MNR is now set to squander a provincial asset and locally beloved park, with no regard for the opinion of its citizens – and without public consultation. Popular community opinion theorizes that the MNR has long-term plans to make the land surplus and sell it for development when the fuss over the park closure has died down. The MNR has stated it has “No plans to sell the park.” In my opinion, “No plans to sell” does not equal the statement, “We will not sell the Park.” Time will tell. Provincial legislation, The Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, clearly states that: 1. The purpose of [The Act] is to permanently protect a system of Provincial parks (Section 1). 2. Ontario’s Provincial Parks…are dedicated to the people of Ontario…these areas shall be managed to maintain their ecological integrity and to leave them unimpaired for future generations (Sections 1 and 6). That governments can openly contravene the intent of existent legislation, is a sad sign of our times. The park closure will also result in the abandonment of a federally registered WWI cenotaph, dedicated to “The Boys of Vespra .” Could there be less respect shown for those who laid down their lives, for future generations of Ontarians – and Canadians? Please write to Premiere Kathleen Wynne and the MNR to express your opposition to the closure of Springwater Provincial Park. Less than two weeks remain before the park is closed on March 31, 2013.