Asitu'lɨsk: Land Full Circle

By Rebecca Jacobs, Posted on January 30, 2023

If you’ve been part of our community for a while, you’ll probably have seen news of an incredible forest and space in Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia) called Windhorse Farm. This enchanting natural landscape consists of the ancient Forest Wapane’kati and its riparian zone on the shores of Atuomkuk (Wentzell) Lake and the Pijnuiskaq (LaHave) River. These lands hosted the first Common Ground partner meeting in 2021, and in 2022, we shared the inspiring story of land back in action in Windhorse: A Land Back Story. 

As part of a historic land-back initiative, the settler caretakers of the land brought their long-standing dream to life by returning the land to the rightful caregivers, the Mi’kmaq. In the spirit of reconciliation and through a combination of purchase and gift, Windhorse Farm was transferred to the Ulnooweg Education Centre, an Indigenous-led registered charity in Atlantic Canada.

Today, we’re excited to continue sharing the story of this land in the recent renaming of Windhorse to Asitu’lɨsk.

Asitu’lɨsk (ah-see-dew-lisk) means “that which gives you balance”.

Today and for the future, Asitu’lɨsk is a place for the Indigenous peoples of Atlantic Canada to welcome all who wish to come and learn about culture, language, ecology, health, ceremony, and science. Asitu’lɨsk is a place to connect the generations and a place to heal and grow for all peoples.

Current initiatives at Asitu’lɨsk include agriculture, financial education, science and innovation, and land-based learning for children of all ages. The Ulnooweg Education Centre has many dreams for the growing infrastructure and capacity of the space, including the ancient Hemlock Grove as a place to meditate, have medicinal workshops, listen to storytelling, learn about the land, or sit and write or draw. You can learn more about Asitu’lɨsk and the future dreams for the land here.

Hemlock (ksu’skw) are one of the oldest living trees found in the Wabanaki forest and at Asitu’lɨsk.