Page 27 - Georgina Island

Spiritual Practice
Some of our community members attend church. Other
community members participate in ceremonies and attend
teaching events connected to original Anishinaabe belief
systems. Some members attend church and also attend
ceremonies and teachings. How each member chooses to
express spirituality is respected as a matter of personal choice.
In the 1820s, the Anishinaabeg
came into contact with the
Christian influence of the Wesleyan
Methodist Church, later to become
the United Church. This is a
photograph of the first church on
Georgina Island.

The United Church today has a small but active congregation.

The United Church holds services every Sunday and has church
school one afternoon a week. Fundraising events include the
annual pancake supper and bake sales. Among its projects, the
church assists children who wish to attend Camp Big Canoe—a
United Church summer camp in Muskoka, Ontario, with a
historical connection to the Chippewas of Georgina Island
First Nation.

Erin Camelon/Shutterstock Smudging is a word that

describes the practice of
cleansing with medicines.
Smudge is typically made up of
dried sage, cedar, tobacco, or
sweetgrass, or a combination
of these.

Georgina Island First Nation 25

ogemawahj_community_book1.indd 25 2019-02-27 10:32 AM