FOLASHADE OSIJO

FOLASHADE OSIJO. Indigenous Lands Assignment Instructor: Laura Nesbitt.

[Audio] This is Folashade's Indigenous Lands Assignment. My focus is on the Lands of Ajax Ontario Canada and Ile-Ife Osun Nigeria..

[Audio] Ajax, established as part of the Regional Municipality of Durham in 1955, lies 13 km from Toronto's eastern border on Lake Ontario's north shore. In 2016, it boasted a population of 119,677. This city holds significant personal significance for me, as it was my initial Canadian residence upon arrival..

[Audio] Ilé-Ifẹ̀, situated in south-western Nigeria's Osun State, is an ancient Yoruba city with a population exceeding 500,000, making it the most populous in the state as per the 2006 census. It holds immense significance for me as the ancestral, spiritual, and historical core of the Yoruba people, being from the royal house of Ipetumodu, Ife North..

[Audio] Ajax, positioned on the ancestral land of the Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, and Mississauga peoples, was primarily inhabited by the Mississauga on the north shore of Lake Ontario during European settlement. The Williams Treaties, signed in October and November 1923 by the Canadian and Ontario governments and seven First Nations including the Chippewa of Lake Simcoe and the Mississauga of the north shore of Lake Ontario, hold historical significance in this region. The Yoruba people are indigenous to the region, with the Ooni of Ife serving as their esteemed traditional leader, held in high regard. A significant event in Yoruba history was the signing of the Peace Treaty between Ife and Modakeke in 2009, resolving a longstanding land dispute. Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi currently reigns as the 51st monarch of the Yoruba Kingdom, succeeding the late Oba Okunade Sijuwade..

[Audio] The Indigenous Community and Healing Garden at the Ajax Pickering Hospital serves as a designated healing space for hospital staff, patients, volunteers, and the local community. Its circular design embodies Indigenous teachings, symbolizing that everyone has a place in the community circle with their own distinct contribution..

[Audio] The Oranmiyan staff holds cultural significance as it is linked to the installation rites for the Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo. The site where the staff is located draws visitors who believe that prayers offered there are answered. Additionally, the Olojo festival, observed annually in October, is a week-long celebration marking the day of creation and commemorating Oranmiyan's ascension to the throne as the inaugural King of Ife..

Reference. Ajayi F., (2023) Betwwen Ife and Modakeke: Two brothers at ‘Peace’ Edugist Retrieved on June 4, 2024 https://edugist.org/between-ife-and-modakeke-two-brothers-at-peace/ CraigBaird (2024). Canadian History. Retrieved on May 30, 2024 from https://canadaehx.com/2022/05/25/the-history-of-ajax/ Google Map (2024, May). Ajax. Retrieved on May 29, 2024 from https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ajax,+ON/@43.8688195,79.11117,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x89d4e7b441ad15d1:0xfb77e101d38b ece!8m2!3d43.8508553!4d-79.0203732!16zL20vMDE4ZGRx?entry=ttu Osun State Government (2024, May). Ile-Ife. Retrieved on May 30, 2024 from https://www.osunstate.gov.ng/ile-ife/ Town of Ajax on the Lake, 2024) Indigenous Community & Healing Garden https://www.ajax.ca/en/play-and-discover/indigenous-community-healing-garden.aspx The Guardian (2018, November). Olojo Festival… Grand celebration of rich Yoruba cultural heritage. https://guardian.ng/features/olojo-festival-grand-celebration-of-rich-yoruba-cultural-heritage/ The Vanguard (2015, April), The significance of Oranmiyan staff and Ife Immovable Heritage Resource. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/04/significance-oranmiyan-staff-ife-immovable-heritage-resource/.