Our Mission

H₂onour Earth is a grass roots organization of artists, Native Elders, educators and community and youth leaders. Our mission is simple: to create a celebration in nature between cultures and generations.

Children need to be heard, and to hear themselves in a clear, collective voice, that they are the inheritors and caretakers of their planet. We know our children will only protect and cherish the things that they care for, so the ceremony and its programs invite them to give voice to their love of nature while expressing their ecological concerns. The children develop authentic, transformative experiences using the endless sources of creative inspiration existing in the natural world.

The Flowing Waters Ceremony weaves together ecological research and analysis with the timeless wisdom and deep spiritual values of indigenous people and then adds to this a gathering in a beautiful setting to demonstrate our commitment to our earth.

Through artistic expression and joyous ceremony, we come together to sing, act and dance, form processions and create new, spontaneous rituals, absorb the magic of storytelling around campfires and sleep under the stars: united in a profound connection to ourselves and the land.

Our earth is the stage, text, test tube, canvas and backdrop to our children's learning, because she fully sustains us, supports us, nourishes and provides for us, and recently the earth is teaching us with patent evidence and example, the effect of betraying our connection to her.

"The Flowing Waters Ceremony honours the best in all of us, to share our love of Mother Earth to our new generations. The ceremony is a wonderful environment for us to be shining examples to our children, and is of utmost importance because it talks about Nebe, Water: the sustenance of Mother Earth."
Pauline Shirt, Plains Cree Grandmother

What We Do

• engage children with ecologically and educationally sound principles of action
• join teachers with Aboriginal Elders and artists and develop innovative, cross cultural and hands-on classroom projects for children, which enhance current curriculum expectations
• recover insights and skills into the art of co-existing harmoniously with all living systems
• entrust our children with a keen sense of personal pleasure, individual responsibility and empowerment when joining with other children in relation to environmental and water issues
• foster in our children a renewed sense of optimism for the adult world as they are listened to, respected and honoured
• provide valuable opportunities for youth leaders to mentor younger participants and gain experience assisting Elders, artists and teachers
• celebrate the sheer delight of a child's imagination at play
• enrich the human spirit and nourish the soul

Founder / Director
Neil Clifford

As the founder of H₂onour Earth and the Artistic Director of the Flowing Waters Ceremony, Neil Clifford combines a deep commitment to the health of children and their future with a life devoted to the arts.

In his childhood and teenage years he danced; in his twenties and thirties he acted; and since 1990 Neil has expressed his love for the natural world as a wildlife artist, his bronze sculpture collected internationally with representation throughout North America and Mexico.

In 1986 he became involved the Globetree Association, an NGO based in Stockholm with special consultative status to the United Nations. Joining their work in the international community to create global festivals for children, Neil has supported young people from over 60 countries to meet and share stories about water in their communities in an effort to improve living environments and quality of life. He was invited by Globetree in 2000 to assist the Future Vessel, an international youth initiative and major event at the 2nd World Water Forum in The Hague, Netherlands. Neil holds an unending debt of gratitude to all the Globetree members for inspiring the work of H₂onour Earth.

Witnessing the creative work and listening to the stories about water from world youth impressed upon him the shared dilemma faced by all cultures in light of environmental impoverishment. Travelling to Borneo in the early 90's, Neil trekked the interior of Sarawak with Penan Indians and saw first-hand the loss of vast tracts of rainforest to logging and the decimation of the traditional hunting grounds of one of the last remaining hunter-gatherer societies. The stark reality of habitat loss on such a massive scale remains for him a wake up call to our digression from the responsibility we share as stewards of the lands, seas and air.

Neil's experiences on the world stage brought an invitation in 2000 to join the Arts and Culture Committee of the TO 2008 Olympic Bid, where he designed arts education programs for children across the province that celebrated the seven Olympic Values: Respect, Excellence, Human Development, Fun, Fairness, Leadership and Peace. He was also pivotal in the implementation of 'Expect the World', a multi-cultural youth gathering and celebration for 7000 children at the CNE Coliseum in 2001.

In 1991, Neil was decorated with the Golden Palms of the Order of the Crown by King Beaudoin of Belgium. This honour was in recognition of his selfless dedication to the health and well being of others.

Bahnii Kenny, Ojibwe Grandmother
Anishnaabae Kwe (ojibwe), Mukwa dodem, Bear Clan. I am a grandmother who likes to share and teach children and adults the spiritual understanding of the world we live in, and the sacredness of our Mother Earth, from the teachings of the medicine wheel, and the seven grandfathers. I like to share these important teachings thru stories and drumming and songs.

Jan Beaver, Native Liaison
Jan is an innovative, enthusiastic teacher with 9 years of experience teaching at the junior level in the classroom, and at all grade levels as an Outdoor Education Teacher at Forest Valley Outdoor Education Centre in the Toronto District School Board. Jan is also an entertaining storyteller with several published children's stories.

Her cultural background as an Ojibwa member of the Alderville First Nation has provided many opportunities to bring these traditions and values to her work as a teacher.

In May 2002, Jan travelled as a delegate with Education International to the Inaugural meeting of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the United Nations. Jan feels a deep commitment to the improvement of education for Aboriginal peoples and to raising the level of awareness and understanding of all Canadians to the rights, history, culture and traditions of Aboriginal peoples.

Deanna Fry, Educational Liaison
Deanna is an elementary educator in Durham Region. She has taught at Lakeside Public School in Ajax for over 10 years and directs the school's environmental club, The Green Group. Deanna has also been involved in a wide variety of community environmental initiatives and currently sits on several local environmental committees and boards. Her work regarding the recognition and celebration of our natural heritage has been published, and forms the basis for "Elemental Connections", her environmental/educational consulting business.

Contact Us
H2E is a grassroots organization dedicated to nurturing and preparing our children to assume the roles and responsibilities as caretakers of their planet.

H₂onour Earth
89 Ellsworth Avenue
Toronto Ontario
M6G 2K4
Canada

main | 416 653 2024
direct | 416 885 6250
fax | 416 653 2024

For information, please contact
Neil Clifford
Artistic Director, H₂onour Earth
neil@h2onourearth.com

© 2003 H₂onour Earth
Please note that all information and photos on this site are copyrighted to H₂onour Earth. Any use of this information or photos without the express written permission of H₂onour Earth is subject to legal action.

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