Creators Garden - Birds

05/06/2025

Birders, you are not ready for this.

This isn’t just a walk. This is the most disruptive, mind-expanding birding experience happening during Pelee’s migration festival.. and it's not even on their calendar.. so please share! Lol

Caldwell First Nation is hosting our full series of bird walks during peak migration, and while the park celebrates its usual programming, we're doing something radically different. Our team has been quietly working for years on a project that will change how you think about birds and taxonomy forever.. a living system of Indigenous taxonomy, built through millennia of intimate observation and encoded in the language itself.

You won't find us in the calendar for this year. Our work is supported and promoted by Caldwell First Nation. But the knowledge we’re bringing is internationally recognized, reshaping how taxonomy is understood.. and we’re sharing it all, with those who show up.

Expect bird names that describe behavior, diet, habitat, and soul. Expect to question everything you’ve ever been told about classification. Expect to feel like you just cracked open a door that can never be shut again.

If you’re serious about birds, you need to be there.

Point Pelee National Park Visitor Centre. May 9th at 10am hosted by CALDWELL FIRST NATION.

Take a break from chasing lifers. You’re about to understand birds. I can't wait to see you all there!!!

01/21/2025

Friends,
This year has already been a whirlwind, filled with opportunities to share Indigenous bird knowledge and language on incredible platforms. From presenting internationally in Costa Rica at the Waterbirds/Pacific Seabirds Conference to hosting workshops with Toronto District School Board’s outdoor educators, our work has sparked meaningful change in environmental and conservation sectors.

Tomorrow, we were scheduled to present in Sudbury at the Two-Eyed Seeing - Sharing Bird Knowledge Symposium on behalf of Plenty Canada. However, after many emails and long conversations with leadership, I will not be able to present here. I am forced to consider, this is not an ethical space that authentically represents Anishinaabe knowledge or communities in a good way.

This is not a conclusion I come to lightly. I carry deep relationships with the communities I represent, and I am bound by responsibility to honor and protect their knowledge. Anishinaabe knowledge is sacred and must be shared in a good way—one that reflects the integrity, resilience, and authenticity of the people and lands it originates from.

By stepping back from this event, I am taking a stand to ensure the knowledge I am entrusted with is not misused or devalued. I urge others to ask the hard questions, honor the answers you receive, and take action when authenticity and accountability are absent.

The work we are doing to bridge Indigenous bird knowledge and language is incredibly powerful. It has already shifted perspectives and practices in conservation - continentally.

But its power lies in its authenticity—it cannot and will not be compromised.

To those who hold true to these principles: Miigwech for standing with me and upholding the values that make our knowledge systems strong. We must continue to protect and honor our identities, our stories, and our people.

I hope that soon, our ability to continue collaboration with the important work being done at Plenty Canada is restored.

Chi miigwech

10/21/2024

Snakes are seed rescuers and secondary dispersers.
The seeds of the prey they eat do not only survive the digestion but GERMINTE inside the snake.

New research reveals that snakes might play a key – and previously unsuspected – role in dispersing plant seeds.

09/25/2024

For Pitawanakwat, recovering traditional bird names restores something more significant than a forgotten word or a bit of birding trivia. “All of these living things carry stories,” he says. “Embedded within those stories is knowledge, and all of that knowledge is here to help you live a good life.”

In the Anishinaabemowin language, bird names are embedded with traditional knowledge. An ongoing project is trying to document as many as possible before they are lost.

05/14/2023

Wowowowow!!!!

Amazing day yesterday, we facilitated a 3hr dawn chorus starting at 5am.. It was so well attended, like 50 participants! And over 40 bird species observed. Our highlights were the blue winged warblers, towhees and grasshopper sparrows. Unreal.

We went on to lead three, ninety-minute bird walks throughout the rest of the day that bumped our species list for the day well over 50.

So much knowledge was shared! We absolutely LOVE hosting events like this, shout out to KLT for being able to organize over 100 learners through a single day of programming.

Being able to share all these bird knowledges and their connection to us, and the rest of creation is a special opportunity.

Yesterday was a good day. Chimiigwech to all who took part in this!

05/10/2023

Another birding event hosted by us!!!!! This Saturday we have 4 separate events for you to join.

Join me and my birding team here in Peterborough for a dawn chorus and/or one of three birding hikes.

This is going to be a fantastic day, the KLT site we will be on is incredibly diverse for birds, I cannot wait to hear this chorus, it will be super special.

Birding by ear is my favorite birding strategy, sitting early in the morning picking out each individual species unique song in a massive chorus sometimes consisting of 50+ species. A mindnumbing, meditative specialization I've been practicing for nearly a decade.

Went out for a coffee this morning and caught nearly 50 species by the airport!

Share it up, friends.

There will be tea.

Join Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) and Creators Garden — Birds for Migratory Bird Day at KLT’s Ballyduff Trails in Kawartha Lakes Attend the Dawn Chorus to listen to birdsong as day breaks and/or one of our three bird walks Migratory Bird Day Dawn Chorus at KLT’s Ballyduff Trails Come listen to a ...

04/28/2023

Caldwell First Nation & Point Pelee National Park here we come!!

Next weekend, May 6th & 7th, is going to be so special!

Being in the birding capital of our province for the first weekend of peak migration! We are sure to see some absolutely remarkable species..

Bird Names in Anishinaabemowin are incredible encapsulations of a species looks, sounds, behaviors, interactions within specific ecosystems and often describing the bird and it's relationship to numerous other creatures.. ALL AT ONCE! lol.. I still don't understand how in the heck one language can do this, but here we are.

I canNOT wait to share this fascinating information in the biggest birding capital, with the most passionate birders from across the country.

Share it up, friends. ❤️ ❤️ 🕊️

See you there!

03/18/2023

Another beautiful bird name!

We know that at least one of the so-called founding fathers of the US considered the Bald Eagle an inappropriate symbol for the United States, due to its habit of stealing prey from other, more hard-working, birds lol.. The name for the bird is also incredibly biased - a Bald eagle. It has a white head. What color do you have to be to have a bald, white, head?

What has remained appropriate through the ages, is the Anishinaabemowin name for Migizi. Migiskan is the word for a hook, with the name describing the characteristically hook-like talons of this species.

Describing animals based on how they relate to us will always complicate our ability to communicate effectively about them. Naming them based on the unique characteristics that make them themselves helps us see them for who they are, and how we can best help. If a bird has hook-like talons, the health of fish populations is likely an important part of its conservation.

Share it up friends!



To learn more and support our work, check out our patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/creatorsgardenbirds

To buy our educational materials:

https://www.creatorsgardenmarket.ca/store

03/14/2023

Check this one out!

The family of ducks is called "Zhiishiip" the family name for ducks is acknowledged in most duck names. 'Shiip' is generally the suffix of most Anishinaabe duck names.

Zhiishiip is an amazing word to describe this family, with many interpretations. "Zhiibaa" is describing 'the space between' ..Killarney is "Zhiibaanaaning" describing the channel between two land masses..

Zhiibaagiizis is the horizon, the space between the sun and the land. This is the home of the duck, perhaps mostly observed pre-contact. The flocks of ducks in Ontario are well-known for being so plentiful they would block the sun.

Zhiishiip is the one who successfully occupies the areas between water and the sky.

In the case of The American Wigeon, their name in is, Waabitigwewishiip, simply describing the white stripe on their head. 'Tikwan' is the word many communities use describe our 'head'.

Sometimes names of living things in the Anishinaabe can be simply describing a unique physical characteristic of the creature whether that be a unique, coloration, silhouette, geometric pattern or shape, etc.

Share it up friends! I LOVE this!





Learn more and support our work on our Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/creatorsgardenbirds

Buy our educational materials here:

https://www.creatorsgardenmarket.ca/store

03/09/2023

Friends!

Anishinaabe Noozwinan, (Anishinaabe names) of living things are very contextual. They describe the quality of a being that makes them uniquely themselves.

When you first look at this bird, you may see a woodpecker. Baapaase. But what makes THIS woodpecker unique from others?

The Northern Flicker is unique amongst its woodpecker cousins in that it primarily feeds on the ground, rather than through making holes in trees. It's name, Mooningwane (moo-ning-wa-nay) describes the action of digging up something animate from the earth. Moona'an is "to dig"



Buy our educational resources here:

https://www.creatorsgardenmarket.ca/store

Learn more and support us here:

https://www.patreon.com/creatorsgardenbirds

03/07/2023

Wowoowowowow!!!! Check this out.. I can't wait to deliver this presentation, this is going to be 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥!! Share it up friends.

Coming Up! Free Webinar: Bird Names in Anishinaabemowin with Creators Garden

Join Joseph Pitawanakwat, Andres Jimenez, and Junaid Khan in a discussion about the depth of ecological knowledge housed in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language) names. Whereas western scientific naming focuses on the most obvious of physical characteristics, geographic range, or paying homage to Europeans, Anishinaabemowin allows us to learn about the roles these incredible flying beings play within our world. In turn, we can learn how best to help and support their populations for generations to come.

Join us to learn more about:
- Anishinaabemowin naming methodology
- Ecological understandings housed in 15 to 20 common bird names
- How these names help us help birds
And MORE!

Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/bird-names-in-anishinaabemowin-with-creators-garden-tickets-566731407897

Coming Up! Free Webinar: Bird Names in Anishinaabemowin with Creators Garden

Join Joseph Pitawanakwat, Andres Jimenez, and Junaid Khan in a discussion about the depth of ecological knowledge housed in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language) names. Whereas western scientific naming focuses on the most obvious of physical characteristics, geographic range, or paying homage to Europeans, Anishinaabemowin allows us to learn about the roles these incredible flying beings play within our world. In turn, we can learn how best to help and support their populations for generations to come.

Join us to learn more about:
- Anishinaabemowin naming methodology
- Ecological understandings housed in 15 to 20 common bird names
- How these names help us help birds
And MORE!

Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/bird-names-in-anishinaabemowin-with-creators-garden-tickets-566731407897

01/31/2023

Woooooo!!

So excited to build this page.. there is soooo much support and interest in Anishinaabe Bird knowledge! Check out this article on our project, share it up friends!

Joe Pit­awana­kwat is on a res­cue mis­sion: to cata­logue the names of birds in Anish­in­aabemowin, the Ojibwe lan­guage, before know­ledge of these names — and what they mean in Eng­lish — dis­ap­pears forever. He and his col­lab­or­at­ors, Andrés...