Students at the University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH) can absorb nature and Indigenous culture through the art of storytelling during the StoryWalk® initiative, located at the Humber Arboretum.
This free experience, which began Sept. 19, is designed to get the Guelph-Humber, Humber Polytechnic, and surrounding communities – including children – immersed in Indigenous Ways of Being, Knowing, and Doing, while reading a book with one page displayed at a time, as they walk through the outdoor trail.
“[My favourite part] is the opportunity to be outside, enjoying a story together with friends, family, and colleagues, then being able to reflect and engage with the nature around me while taking in the story,” said Skye Soobramanie, Liaison Librarian for the Community Social Services and Early Childhood Studies programs at U of GH. She is one of the lead organizers of this StoryWalk®.
The event is put on by Humber & University of Guelph-Humber Library, in partnership with Indigenous Education & Engagement, the Humber Arboretum, and the City of Toronto.
The book featured in StoryWalk® is Walking Together by Elder Albert D. Marshall (Mi’kma’ki) and Louise Zimanyi (a Humber Polytechnic instructor), illustrated by Emily Kewageshig (Saugeen First Nation). It’s about a group of young children who are connecting with nature as their teacher, learning to protect Mother Earth. The characters explore how to foster respectful, reciprocal, and responsible relationships with the Land and Water, plant life, animals, and one another.
Incorporating Indigenous perspectives into campus life is significant because, as Soobramanie explains, “we want to support Truth and Reconciliation by continuing to recognize Indigenous voices on campus, and as we are located on the traditional and treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit.”
Learning about Western ways and Indigenous Ways of Being, Knowing, and Doing fosters a greater sense of understanding, known as “Etuaptmumk” (the gift of multiple perspectives in the Mi’kmaw language) or “two-eyed seeing” by Elder Marshall – a concept present in the book.
“Throughout the walk, participants are asked gentle questions and prompts inviting them to reflect, imagine, and wonder. These are included within the story to spark conversation and connection,” Soobramanie said.
StoryWalk® was available during the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation – also known as Orange Shirt Day – on Sept. 30, and will also be available during Treaties Recognition Week on Nov. 2-8, and during the Indigenous Knowledges Gathering at Humber Polytechnic from Nov. 12 to 14.
“Storytelling and learning from the land are traditional Indigenous pedagogies – what a good way to connect with the community and this book,” she said.
StoryWalk® will run from Sept. 19 to Nov. 28, 2025, at the Humber Arboretum.
To learn more about Indigenous supports at the University of Guelph-Humber, you can visit Indigenous Education & Engagement.
And we invite you to explore these reading guides and resources from our library to learn more about Indigenous peoples and culture:
- The Learning Portal - College Libraries Ontario
- Truth and Reconciliation collection
- Treaty Rights and Relationships collection
- Indigenous Research Guide
