ABSTRACT
It was a warm fall day when my students and I came to the “enchanted forest.” That is the name the students have given to the group of coniferous trees with a circle of benches in the middle. Most of the students were happy to be out of the classroom, a nice break from the rigid schedule of the day. We walked in through the narrow path and waited to hear the history of the Kanyen’kehá-ka people as told through the white pine teaching. While we waited in silence, you could sense the students’ curiosity building. Fidgeting fingers, tiny whispers, and small games of tag let me know that the students didn’t fully understand the importance of silence and listening to the land. It did tell me that they were comfortable here. It was a safe place, a sacred place.
