About Us
The Journey
As a community cares for the land, a strong communal relationship with the land forms. Over time, the details become clear as we notice the songbirds; observe a small weasel dart by, almost undetected, carrying a freshly caught mouse to their den under the shed; see coyote scat and find a deer carcass; hear the spring peepers and observe the patterned lives of pollinators and garden pests; notice the rich moisture of dark soil mulched with woodchips compared to the compacted, cracked soil of the pasture mid-summer; discover the white, thread-like strands of mycelium - the nervous system of a newly planted little forest; offer Asemma, our sacred medicine; feel gratitude for life and set our intention for the continuation of life; offer that smudge so that we each can restore and ready ourselves to grow our medicines…to be medicine.
It is through this process of relationship building with the land over two years that members of the urban Indigenous community committed to establishing a land trust. All Our Relations Land Trust is a charitable organization formed in 2022 by urban Indigenous community members within Katarokwi (greater Kingston area, Ontario). It is a culmination of aspirations expressed by community members for a cultural and natural space that is cared for by the community. Establishing this Land Trust allows community members to hold land in perpetuity and establish a meaningful relationship with land in an urban setting. It offers a way for Indigenous Peoples to take direct action for biodiversity restoration and cultural resurgence and to safeguard lands for future generations of all our relatives in an area at risk of increasing urbanization and development. All Our Relations Land Trust is preparing to receive a gift of land in 2024.
This gift is 2.86 acres of pasture located at 1467 Highway 15 in Katarokwi. This location is home to an Indigenous food sovereignty garden and little forests that are cared for by community. This land is being gifted by the United Church of Canada after nearly seven years of reconciliatory relationship building between Faith United Church and members of the urban Indigenous community through an initiative called Walking the Path of Peace Together. You can read more about that initiative here. All Our Relations Land Trust maintains that when people interact with the land, they remember who they are, their roles, their responsibilities, and their sources of strength; the relationship is re-established. The Land Trust offers a direct and meaningful way to care for land, ensure a continued relationship, and protect the continuation of life.
Who We Are
Kaitlyn Patterson
(ikwe/she/her)
Board Member | Chair of the Board
Kwey, Kaitlyn nindizhinikaaz. Maang nidoodem. Mattawa nindonjibaa. Elgin endaayaan. Kaitlyn is mixed-ancestry Algonquin from the Loon Clan. Her Algonquin Ancestors are from Mattawa, Ontario, and she has lived in Katarokwi for most of her life.
Jeffrey Kiyoshk
Board Member | Treasurer
Aanii, Boozhoo. Indinawemaaginidog. Jeffrey Kiyoshk indizhinikaaz.
Jeffrey Kiyoshk is of the Marten Clan and a registered member of Walpole Island Unceded First Nation. He currently serves as the Indigenous Programs Manager for Farm to Cafeteria. Previously, he worked as the Indigenous Advisor and Instructor at the Centre for Faculty Development at St. Michael’s Hospital, where he co-developed seven principles of anti-oppressive and anti-racist education to support instructors in creating inclusive learning environments.
Jeffrey is an Ontario Certified Teacher with over 25 years of experience in communications, journalism, and marketing, working alongside First Nation communities and organizations across Canada. He has taught Kindergarten to Grade 12 in Pikangikum, Pickle Lake, and Thunder Bay, and now develops and delivers curriculum for adult learners. His teaching is grounded in the diverse histories and cultures of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples across Turtle Island.
He also facilitates trauma-informed discussions on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report and its Calls to Action. His mother, Ramona Kiyoshk, attended the Mohawk Institute Residential School—known as the Mush Hole—with her siblings. Being taken from her home at a young age left lasting impacts that deeply inform Jeffrey’s approach to education: to be careful, thoughtful, and centered on the learner’s experience.
Jeffrey’s current work focuses on Indigenous food sovereignty and food security. Through Farm to Cafeteria, he teaches about Indigenous food systems in collaboration with a strong circle of advisors who share their knowledge and expertise to expand the conversation on culturally appropriate food and the dynamic foodways that connect us all.
He has a long history of Indigenous program development, intentional community building, and learner-focused evaluation across youth and adult education settings.
"I am happy to be part of the All Our Relations Land Trust, and I hope I can offer some support to the people and land here. Miigwetch. "
Shelagh McGuinty
Board Member | Secretary
Shelagh is a mixed ancestry Anishinaabekwe raised in Katarokwi, who now lives and grows food by ziibi Clyde.
Sheldon Traviss
Board Member
Sheldon Traviss is a local Indigenous Artist who lives in Katarokwi and traces their ancestry to the Six Nations Community near Brantford.
Natasha Darling
(She/Her)
Board Member
