Lost in Ontario: An Ojibwe Spirit Horse & Tipi Encounter in Chatham-Kent

I acknowledge that the land in which I took part in this experience is part of the traditional territory of the Chippewa, Odawa, Potawatomi and Delaware Nations.

A few months ago, in the midst of COVID-19 and all of the travel restrictions that came with it, I made a vow to myself. I set a new goal for what travel would look like for me for the next year. This new goal was to get lost and explore this beautiful country we live in, starting with my own back yard. Here in Ontario, there are countless of things to do and I want to put my hand on its pulse and feel every part of it. Not only do I want to experience cabins, Airbnb’s and charming towns, but I really want to wrap myself in the very fabric of what this province and country were built on.

This past weekend I did just that.

With the amazing help of Visit Chatham-Kent, I made my way to Chatham, Ontario for a truly unique experience at TJ Stables. Created with the support of Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO), I had a once in a lifetime experience on a Métis farm. The experience included rare Ojibway Spirit Horses, enriching stories by the fire and a mesmerizing drumming circle led (and sung) by the beautiful Andria, who also goes by the name 'Running Deer'. All of this was followed by an unforgettable night under the stars in a tipi.

Full disclosure: When I was told about this experience, I was hesitant at first. With the current state of the world surrounding race and cultural appropriation, I wanted to be extremely mindful of it. I wasn’t sure if staying in a tipi was right if it had no connection to Indigenous culture.

A few months ago (being the adventure seeker that I am), I came across a tipi on Airbnb. It looked amazing. When I read more about it, I realized it had no connection at all to the Indigenous culture. It was simply a tipi owned by non-Indigenous people with no opportunities to learn. It felt wrong to me so I passed. I didn’t want to exploit it. I didn’t want to simply do something for the sake of a good blog post or an Instagram photo, but instead, I wanted to learn and understand it better.

When this new opportunity presented itself (which is tied to Métis and First Nations), I knew that it was the perfect opportunity to learn more. I wanted to respect it and also celebrate it. This land has so much to explore, but if I can’t truly understand and learn about its foundation and origins, then I’m not deserving of its beauty.

“O Canada! Our home and native land!”. Our home and Native land.

The tourism board quickly assured me that this was created working closely with ITO and that one of the owners was Métis. This was a learning opportunity just as much as it was an adventure. I was in for a real treat. And it was. It REALLY was.

When my partner Rikki and I arrived at the farm, we were greeted with smiles all around. One of the owners, Terry Jenkins immediately made us feel welcomed and took us on a quick tour of the property. Shortly after, we were greeted by her Metis husband, John, who had already started a fire outside of the tipi. They were both warm and friendly and excited to welcome us into their home.

The Tipi
The tipi sits between a small pond with ducks and turtles and a sugar maple tree. The large structure towers over the land, unintentionally demanding respect. The cover wraps around the structure tightly, coming together at the front with lacing pins. Two smoke flaps open up near the top, exposing several poles that pierce into the sky. Inside, a small crackling fire kept it warm. Small bunches of tobacco (considered a sacred plant to the Indigenous people) hung along the interior as well as other medicinal plants. Inside, there are 4 mattresses with blankets and animal hides to keep warm. Walking in, I could feel its power and how this purposefully designed structure housed many Indigenous people long before I was here.

Dinner
We had dinner next to the tipi, overlooking the herd of spirit horses. Dinner consisted of traditional Métis food made by John himself. He described the food as something typical that his fur trading ancestors would eat on any given day. We had a split pea soup with ham along with a hearty venison meat pie.

I washed mine down with some delicious local wine. For dessert, we had cornbread with home made wild grape and elderberry jam.

John is a member of several reenactment groups, so for him it is important to make everything look real and authentic, which I really appreciated. Everything, from the outdoor fire and cast iron pots, to the plates and mugs are specially hand picked, further adding to the old time charm of the experience. For dinner, we were joined by Andria, who is from the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and her husband.

Meeting the Ojibwe Spirit Horses
The Ojibwe Spirit horses were nearly extinct in the late 70's. In 1977, there were only 4 (FOUR!!!) of these rare Indigenous breed of horses left in the world. A few breeding efforts were put into place bringing these magnificent creatures back from near extinction. The horses are smaller than the average horse, but what they lack in size, they make up for in every other way. These horses are special. They are sweet tempered, curious and intuitive. We were told stories about their past and how they once roamed freely in Ontario. Because of their sweet temperament, the horses are perfect for equine therapy, which the farm plays a big part in. People from all over Southern Ontario come here to help with their PTSD, ADD, autism, depression and more.

After dinner, Andria explained that we were now going to smudge so that we could purify and cleanse our souls before visiting with the magical spirit horses. She calmly twisted apart some sage into a small shell, blowing on it slightly until it started to smoke. She took that smoke into her hands, cleansing them first and proceeded bringing the smoke to her ears, eyes, mouth and heart. She explained: "We smudge before we go in to see the horses so that we can leave any negativity out here and join the horses in a purified state". We all proceeded as she did and although the experience felt foreign to me, it felt natural at the same time. I felt a sense of calm after. Andria proceeded with drumming to a song she sang for the horses. She first explained: "Long ago, the Creator asked the horses to bond with Mother Earth's heartbeat. The drumming of the First Nations people were interpreted by the horses as that heartbeat". She then began to drum and sing. Almost instantaneously, all of the horses began to gather around her, almost like children ready for story time. It was pretty incredible to witness. They were mesmerized by her song and her spirit. While i've always had a big imagination and often let it take me to other places, a horse being drawn to a drum because it reminded it of a heartbeat seemed like folklore to me. And yet here I was, watching them all entranced by it. I turned to look at Rikki, seeking reassurance that I was in fact seeing this and he nodded in agreement with the look of disbelief on his face.

After Andria finished, the gates were opened and we were surrounded by the spirit horses. They are extremely calm and welcoming. A few of the younger babies, who would normally shy away at this age, greeted me like puppies, rubbing their noses on me and allowing me to pet them. I felt safe and I could easily understand why so many people find them therapeutic.

This little cutie was so friendly and attached to my hip!

Drumming, singing and stories by the fire
After our spirit horse encounter, we found ourselves gathered around the fire. Andria sang a few songs and we also participated with singing and drumming. Andria, Terry and John began telling all kinds of stories. Their eyes lit up as they told their own stories. Some of the stories were funny and we laughed. Others were sad. All of them were inspiring. Although I had never met these people, I felt strangely bonded with them through their stories. It felt natural.

We sipped on cedar tea, which is a sacred tree and known for its healing properties. I cannot begin to explain how delicious this fragrant tea was. I wondered why I had never had it before.

After a few hours of storytelling, Andria and her husband departed and Terry and John went to their home for the night. Rikki and I settled ourselves inside the tipi next to the warm crackling fire. As I started to doze off to sleep I looked up through the opening of the tipi at the stars. I could hear the quiet hooves and grunts of the spirit horses nearby which was comforting. I had one of of those ‘few and far between’ (and incredibly satisfying) moments where I knew this was exactly where I was meant to be in my life at this moment. I remember smiling and closing my eyes.

Breakfast & medicine walk through the woods
The next morning, we woke up to a delicious breakfast of bacon and pancakes that were made over the fire. It was topped off with homemade maple syrup tapped from the surrounding sugar maple trees. It was simple but incredibly delicious and satisfying.

After that, we took a walk through the woods with John, who pointed out the various trees and plants and explained some of their medicinal properties. Not long after our walk, it was time to pack up and head back to the city.

This past weekend was so much more than a night in a tipi and a photo op.
It was about a Canadian woman and her fond childhood memory of spirit horses and her burning desire to continue their legacy.
It was about a first nations woman who suffered from PTSD and how she found healing through spirit horses.
It was about a Métis man who loves recreating the stories from the past as a way of appreciating the simplicity and fragility of life.
This past weekend was about stories. Each one interwoven together to make an even greater story.
A story about the Metis and First Nations people and their love, respect and unwavering appreciation for this sacred land that we often take for granted.
I encourage you to make your way to Chatham-Kent, and get lost in this incredible and humbling experience.

A huge, heartfelt thank you to Visit Chatham-Kent for sponsoring this post and supporting this experience. All reviews and opinions are my very own.