By: Shawn Johnson
“I prayed this morning as I do every day,” explains Shawn Johnson, CNIB Lake Joe guest and member of the First Nations Mississauga Ojibwe. “I asked the Creator, ‘I want to hear from you,' and this is what came.”
Listen to the birds as they pray
Listen to the birds as they sing
Listen to the Elders as they pray
Listen to the Elders as they sing
They are singing of long, long ago
My friend, will you take my hand
As the Elders begin to sing
Let them teach the way
For this gift I’m offering you
Is the gift of my love.
Listen to the gentle breezes
That’s the Elders in the wind
They are singing ‘come, let us teach you’
Let us walk beside you
For we are far and distant, yet we are near
Listen to the gentle waves
Listen to the ancient ones as they sing
Let them enthrone you
Shall I take you by the hand my friend
Yes, I shall
With this hand I extend to you
A good hand of friendship
This is what the Elders say.
Listen to what the Elders say.
About the author
Born in Peterborough, Shawn now lives with his family in Hiawatha First Nations, Ontario. He is First Nations Mississauga Ojibwe and is a Sun Dancer. 
Shawn lost his sight in 2010 at the age of 50. His first visit to CNIB Lake Joe was in 2013, and he hadn’t missed a year until the pandemic closed in-person camp in 2020. Shawn is looking forward to returning to Lake Joe this summer and fall.
“When I first arrived, I was nervous, as I didn’t know what to expect,” shared Shawn. “Volunteer Jim Tokos sat and talked to me and told me there’s nothing to be nervous about. I was afraid of the water, but I got over it, getting into the catamaran and the voyageur canoe. Now I love every minute of it.”
“When I come back to Lake Joe, I want to recognize the land that we’re on. I will bring gifts of tobacco, sage and sweet grass for the Creator in thanks for the land we’re on,” explains Shawn.
Shawn likes to share his poetry with guests and hopes to donate new fishing rods to Lake Joe. He also wants to have a special dream catcher made to be showcased in the lounge by the fireplace.
CNIB Lake Joe’s land acknowledgement statement:
CNIB Lake Joe is on land, which is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabek (Ojibwe, Pottowattami, and Odawa) people. The Anishinaabek still regard these lands as the hunting grounds, medicine areas, and gathering places, related to them through oral history passed down for generations. Other Indigenous Nations have come to occupy this land, such as the Haudenosaunee and the Metis Nation. We are grateful for the opportunity to meet here, and we thank all the generations of people who have taken care of this land for thousands of years.