Caldwell First Nation is moving home after hundreds of years. Here's what it took to reclaim their land
CBC
From Lake Erie's northern shores in Leamington, Ont., Darlene Marshall watches the waves crash into each other.
The water, called nibi in Anishinaabemowin, holds memories, she says.
And for her, the water brings to mind vivid images and stories of her grandmother and father — both members of Caldwell First Nation. Not far from where she stands, is where her grandmother Gertrude Thomas was born, on what is now Point Pelee National Park.
"[My grandmother] lived there in their village for a number of years until the [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] on horseback came, asked them to take what they could carry and they were removed, all of them, from their community and their homelands," said 62-year-old Marshall..
"And my grandmother said she turned to see behind her that all that was left of their community was smoke and fire."
This is a memory that Marshall — whose traditional Anishinaabemowin name is Na'akshi Anung Kwe, meaning First Evening Star Woman — remembers her grandmother sharing with her when she was little.
According to Caldwell First Nation, the 1920s were the last time its people lived on its ancestral lands — that is, until now.
After fighting to reclaim its land and reunite its community for more than 230 years, Caldwell is celebrating a monumental moment: its people are returning home.
The first few families have already made the move to the reserve, just off of Bevel Line Road and Mersea Road 1 in southwestern Ontario, with dozens of others expected to arrive by mid-September. The hurdles the nation has overcome to get to this point mean that the joy of this moment is also mixed with sadness and pain.
Many are reminded that their people lost more than just their land — they also lost their way of life. Their language, traditions, teachings and stories were scattered along with the dispersal of people.
Today, Caldwell members are still trying to piece together their past to better understand who they are.
WATCH: 'I wanted this all my life:' Caldwell members speak about coming home
When asked about her people, Angela Duckworth lets out a deep sigh and asks herself,"where do I start?"
"That's kind of a difficult question," she said, her voice breaking.
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