Story Info
Story Info
Corinna Stevenson
Ravenwood, Sayward, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
2019
Type of Wounded Place
Story & Experience
Once, all people lived in close relationship with nature. Time and history have withered the bond between the human and the other-than-human world. Despite this, the Earth and All Our Relations continue to generously give us everything we need. In these precarious times, we can no longer ignore the fact that we are connected to everything else and that we have an important role to play in caring for the other-than-human world. Our ancestors who lived close to the land knew this. It is time for us to remember. For our Global Earth Exchange, 7 strong, beautiful, and courageous women turned up for a transformative weekended designed to help us awaken and remember our innate connection to the more-than- human world. Through nature immersion, sensory awareness, drum journeying, and ritual we connected with and learned from our other than human kin. Our final activity was the Global Earth Exchange. As a result of this retreat, we emerged inspired to be change-makers and more deeply connected to All Our Relations.
Once, all people lived in close relationship with nature. Time and history have withered the bond between the human and the other-than-human world. Despite this, the Earth and All Our Relations continue to generously give us everything we need. In these precarious times, we can no longer ignore the fact that we are connected to everything else and that we have an important role to play in caring for the other-than-human world. Our ancestors who lived close to the land knew this. It is time for us to remember. For our Global Earth Exchange, 7 strong, beautiful, and courageous women turned up for a transformative weekended designed to help us awaken and remember our innate connection to the more-than- human world. Through nature immersion, sensory awareness, drum journeying, and ritual we connected with and learned from our other than human kin. Our final activity was the Global Earth Exchange. As a result of this retreat, we emerged inspired to be change-makers and more deeply connected to All Our Relations.
Why this Place?
Ravenwood, Sayward, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Ravenwood is a healing forest nestled in the Sayward valley, on the traditional territory of the Komox and Laich-kwil-tach people. Generously cared for and protected by Corinna and Greg Stevenson, the property borders the crystal-clear waters of the Salmon River and is home to majestic old-growth forest, grassy meadows, and many species of edible and culturally significant plants. Guests are graced with regular visits from a local herd of Roosevelt Elk and the annual salmon run draws in wildlife of all kinds, including black bears and bald eagles. Ravenwood has always served as a healing forest for two-leggeds who come to visit. It is with much gratitude that we acknowledge Ravenwood for teaching us more deeply what it means to be human.
Despite the verdant vibrancy and beauty of the forest, the fragility of Ravenwood’s ecosystem is being threatened by climate change, local clear cutting, and other things mainly caused by human activity. We chose to conduct our ceremony at Ravenwood as an act of love and gratitude for Ravenwood, the Earth, and All Our Relations.
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