'This is just the beginning:' Caldwell First Nation celebrates return to part of its ancestral lands

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

4 months 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 and Mersea Road 1. 

In 2020, the First Nation got reserve status and, shortly after, started building houses and infrastructure on the land. 

The first few families moved in to the housing units earlier this summer. The First Nation says about 60 people will be living on the reserve by mid-September. 

Caldwell Coun. Larry Johnson has spent most of his life dreaming of returning to the ancestral lands. He'll remember many special moments from Saturday's celebration, he said.

His favourite moment, however, was watching his 6-year-old great-granddaughter "making new friends and running around and playing with two new friends," he said. 

"[I'm] looking forward to the future. This is a start that took a lot of hard work… and we're going to keep going until we have a really wonderful, flourishing community for future generations," said Johnson, whose traditional name in Ojibway is Equambgat, meaning "the one who watches." In Delaware, his name is Walamaseehaht, meaning "he who looks on in a good way." 

Caldwell First Nation opened a gas and variety store on the land in 2023. In the coming years, it hopes to build more housing, a multi-purpose centre that will hold the band office and a school.