Save Our Riverlot Lodge!
My name is Morgyn McDonald, and I come to you asking for your help in protecting the multi-generational home of my Métis family. I hope that by creating this gofundme I can network with allies across the world, and establish a community space to share the waterways and cultural traditions from where I grew up!
For years, my Nana Jayne’s property on Eels Creek in Apsley, Ontario, has been my home and my connection to the natural world. I paddled canoes and floating logs around our little beaver dammed water way, and fished to my hearts content from muskrat lodges and mounds. I have skated across Eels Creek's core and laid down to feel her move below me after hours beneath my blades.
Looking into history, this place has been a sanctuary for our family in more ways than I can put to paper!
All that said... we are at a crossroads. My Nana has taken her final walks along our medicine trails, and she has chosen to leave this land to me to protect. I know that for some in my family, the logistics and the weight of keeping this place feel like heartache—finding that it may be easier to walk away. But to me, losing our connection to this place would be the real tragedy.
I’m not looking to 'own' my childhood home.
I want to turn this transition into a chance to build a legacy.
My vision is to take the quiet strength Nana maintained and taught to me, here, and grow beyond our small beginnings. I want to ensure this riverlot remains a sanctuary for the creatures who live here, and as a space to visit and share for our community - long after we are gone.
I am a kookum-sashed matriarch, a graduate of Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak (LFMO)'s Leadership training program, and I have been an active member of this community for many years and so I believe I understand what this space offers our many interconnected Nations and communities across and beyond Canada.
My goal is to fully pay off the remaining mortgage as soon as possible, eliminating any chance of losing my place as a steward to protect this piece of our culture and the natural world.
If we can save this riverlot, (which is currently only 55k away from being fully paid off) it will become Amikidan Lodge: a dedicated "third space" for:
Healers and Knowledge Keepers:
A quiet place for medicine work and reflection.
Professional Workshops:
A hub for traditional skills, sash weaving, and storytelling.
Community Gatherings:
A safe, land-based space for our community to grow together.
I am asking for support openly and publicly, so that this project can receive any advice or criticism that we could use to grow and improve!
Chi-Miigwetch en Maarsii for standing with me, with my Nana Jayne, and with the future of Amikidan Lodge.
Having grown up in a place so deeply rooted in Métis culture and natural beauty, I truly understand how vital it is to preserve such spaces for future generations. Like Morgyn, I’ve experienced the irreplaceable joy and peace that come from walking along medicine trails, paddling serene waterways, and hearing the stories shared beneath starry skies. Saving the riverlot isn’t just about protecting land—it’s about sustaining a living heritage and providing a "third space" where our communities can gather, learn, and heal. Amikidan Lodge’s vision to host traditional skills workshops and storytelling sessions aligns with my experiences attending similar cultural gatherings, which helped me reconnect with my roots and foster a strong sense of belonging. I also admire Morgyn’s leadership, having completed the Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak program, reflecting her dedication to community stewardship. Paying off the remaining mortgage promptly is crucial to ensure this sanctuary is never lost to commercial pressures or neglect. Supporting campaigns like this goes beyond charity; it’s an investment in cultural continuity and environmental stewardship. For anyone passionate about Indigenous heritage, environmental conservation, or community-building, contributing to Save Our Riverlot Lodge means directly empowering a vision that bridges past, present, and future. Together, we can help keep this unique space alive as a refuge for wildlife and a vibrant hub for healing and cultural exchange. If you’re inspired, I encourage you to follow Morgyn’s journey and consider sharing this important cause with others who value Indigenous legacies and natural sanctuaries as much as we do.
