Drumming and singing boomed from the heart of Caldwell First Nation Saturday, as it celebrated its official return to its ancestral lands. The First Nation has anticipated the moment it could welcome its people back home for more than 230 years. Dozens of people from Caldwell and other First Nations participated in the event, which included sacred ceremonies, dancing, storytelling and food.
"It was a beautiful day," said Chief Mary Duckworth, whose traditional name is Madidoog-KinNya-Eyojic, which is Anishinaabemowin for "spirits are all around me." "We were able to come, gather, do ceremony..
. see our children run through the fields, see our old ones sit together and laugh." WATCH: Caldwell First Nation is moving home.
Here's what it took to reclaim their lands: Caldwell First Nation is moving home after hundreds of years. Here's what it took to reclaim their land 21 hours ago Duration 4:00 Members of Caldwell First Nation detail their more than 230 year fight to get back a piece of their land and reunite their community. A long history of colonization stripped Caldwell First Nation of its lands, which stretch from the mouth of the Detroit River to Long Point, along the northern shore of Lake Erie.
After petitioning the federal government and filing multiple formal land claim settlements, the First Nation finally received $105 million from a settled claim in 2011. It used the money to acquire 80 hectares of land in Leamington, Ont., near the intersection of Bevel Line Road a.