Providing Care During the Pandemic: Dr. Debby Wilson Danard raises a Lodge on U of T grounds

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Askaakamigokwe-wigamig (Ah-skaw-kom-ih-goh-kweh-whi-gah-mig, Mother Earth Learning Lodge) was raised on the grounds of New College at the University of Toronto (October 2020). As New College Provost Postdoctoral Fellow (2019–2021), Dr. Deb, guided by her Elders—Jim Dumont, Gertie Beaucage, and Jeff Monague—ensured the Lodge would be a safe environment for Life Promotion  through ceremony, community, and connection to the land.

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“To raise a lodge is to bring it to life. The lodge teaches us how to rebuild community when we are in good relations with the land and practicing reciprocity with everything that is alive.” – Dr. Debby Wilson Danard

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With the support of Indigenous and non-Indigenous faculty, students and staff the Lodge continues to serve the current and future University of Toronto Indigenous campus community.

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Since April 2022, the Lodge has been supported financially and administratively by the Waakebiness Institute for Indigenous Health (WBIIH) and benefits from the team leadership of Dr. Suzanne Stewart, Director of WBIIH, Special Advisor to the Dean on Aboriginal Education, and Chair of the Indigenous Education Network.