Niagara Geopark Unveils First Indigenous Trail Sign at The Brown Homestead

Niagara Geopark was honoured to unveil the first Niagara Indigenous Trail Sign at The Brown Homestead in St. Catharines.

This meaningful milestone is an important step in helping residents and visitors better understand that many of the roads we drive along today were, and still are, Indigenous trails. These routes have been walked for thousands of years and continue to carry deep stories of movement, connection, knowledge, trade, ceremony, and relationship with the land.

The Niagara Indigenous Trail Sign initiative was developed through Indigenous guidance, in partnership with Plenty Canada and with support from FedDev Canada. It reflects Niagara Geopark’s commitment to sharing the deeper stories of this place with care, respect, and truth.

The unveiling brought together community partners, Indigenous leadership, and local representatives to recognize the importance of place-based storytelling. A special thank you to Perry Hartwick, Chair of Niagara Geopark, Tim Johnson, President of the Niagara Academy for Indigenous Relations, Phil Davis, Niagara Geopark Board Member and Indigenous Culture Liaison, Andrew Humeniuk of The Brown Homestead, and St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe for helping mark this important occasion.

Niagara Geopark is especially grateful for the growing relationship with the Niagara Academy for Indigenous Relations and The Brown Homestead. These partnerships help ensure that this work is rooted in respect, collaboration, and a shared commitment to learning. They also make moments like this more meaningful and more important.

This initiative reminds us that interpretation is not simply about placing a sign on the land. It is about listening, learning, and recognizing the Indigenous knowledge, histories, and presence that continue to shape Niagara.

We all have a commitment to Indigenous communities to recognize that Indigenous Peoples have been stewards of this land since long before colonization. That truth carries with it a responsibility and a duty of care. As Niagara Geopark continues to share the region’s geological, cultural, ecological, and community stories, we must do so in a way that honours the people, pathways, and relationships that have shaped this land for thousands of years.

Thank you to The Brown Homestead for hosting this first unveiling and to everyone who joined us for this important milestone.

This unveiling is one step in a much larger commitment to truth, learning, and place-based storytelling. Through partnerships grounded in respect and care, Niagara Geopark continues to help residents and visitors understand that Niagara’s story is not only written in stone. It is carried through the land, the trails, and the Indigenous communities who have cared for this place for generations.

Engage. Educate. Explore.