Meet some of the first residents living on Caldwell First Nation

On the day Darrelle Vaughan was moving herself and her young twin girls to Caldwell First Nation, she arrived outside of their new home just before sunrise. 

Vaughan and three other families — who are the first to live on Caldwell's land located in southwestern Ontario — were being welcomed with a sunrise ceremony. The ancient ritual, which involves smudging, drumming and a sacred fire, gathers people before the sun rises to ask the spirits and their ancestors to join them in that moment. 

"It opened my eyes a lot because of how much I've missed out on this kind of stuff," said 20-year-old Vaughan. 

"It made me like grateful for my culture. It made me realize how beautiful my culture really is and that I get to finally be a part of it again." 

But Vaughan and her nearly two-year-old twins, Daveigha Vaughan-Drouillard and Khalia Vaughan-Drouillard, aren't the only ones reconnecting with who they are. By mid-September, Caldwell says roughly 60 members will be living on the reserve.  

It's a historic moment for the First Nation, which has spent more than 230 years fighting to reclaim its land and restore its community. 

Dirt lawns, unpaved pathways and numbers taped to the windows marking some of the units, are signs that the community is still a work-in-progress, but it's come a long way from the empty field that was there about two years ago. 

The subdivision includes 28 net-zero, rent-geared-to-income duplexes and fourplexes, there are street lamps and signs, as well as newly paved roads. The street names were chosen by Caldwell's youth, who specifically wanted one to be named, giiwewjigaaza, which is Anishinaabemowin for "being brought back home." 

As Caldwell Chief Mary Duckworth walks through one of the unoccupied units, that needs a few final touches, she says building the community from scratch has been "surreal." 

"Our community has arrived and we have housing on the territory. But I think what we forget to do is think about our ancestors and think about, you know, the journey and how long it took to get to where we are today," said Duckworth, whose traditional name is Madidoog-KinNya-Eyojic, which is Anishinaabemowin for "spirits are all around me." 

"I have gratitude and I have hope and I have faith in what's to come for Caldwell." 

That hope for a bright future is what encouraged Vaughan to make the move onto Caldwell First Nation. 

Inside Vaughan's two-storey unit, she's still working on settling in.

There are new couches arriving soon and photos to hang. Vaughan says the high cost of housing was part of the reason why she moved, but she's also eager to be surrounded by family.