Recently, the engagement team at pipikwan pêhtâkwan spent some time hiking through Whitemud Creek with a number of community members and Elders. Bundled in our winter jackets, feeling our way across the trail, each of us was reminded of what it is to visit, to listen and to connect, not just with one another, but with the land. I watched an Elder with his aching knees bend down to the ground, beckoning a squirrel toward him. The squirrel was cautious but interested. The Elder gave it space until it felt ready to move closer. I stopped to watch the exchange, fascinated that these two even bothered to acknowledge one another.