Walking the Four Paths: Reconnecting with Story, Spirit, Land, and Community

Part 1 Walking the Four Paths Series

(The Four Paths are open to anyone, Indigenous or not, seeking to explore their own journey.)

Why I Created the Four Paths

For much of my life, I felt disconnected from my Métis roots. I didn’t grow up with ceremony, language, or even open conversations about our ancestry. Like many, my family’s history was shaped by silence, survival, and the belief that it was safer to keep our identity hidden. As I searched for answers, I realized how hard it was to find accessible, trustworthy information, especially if you aren’t already connected to community, Elders, or knowledge keepers.

I know I’m not alone in this. Many of us wonder if we’re “Métis enough” or if we even have a place in the story. The Four Paths are here to say: You belong. Your journey matters. This space is for anyone who wants to reconnect, reflect, and walk the path of Métis identity and spirituality, no matter where you’re starting from.

Why Is It Needed?

• Silence and Disconnection: Many Métis and Indigenous people grew up without access to ceremony, language, or cultural teachings due to colonialism, trauma, and assimilation.

• Barriers to Belonging: Stereotypes, myths, and internalized doubts often make us feel like we don’t belong or aren’t “enough.”

• A Place to Start: There aren’t enough accessible, supportive spaces for people who are just beginning to ask questions or want to learn at their own pace.

• Community and Healing: Healing happens when we share stories, learn together, and support each other-side by side.

  
  

The Four Paths

Inspired by the strength and unity of the bison, the red and blue of the Métis Nation, and the infinity symbol that represents our enduring spirit, the Four Paths invite us to walk together. Just as the bison walk together, we walk together, each of us on our own path, but never alone. The Four Paths offer different ways to reconnect and grow:

1. The Path of Story

• What it is: Exploring your own story, your family’s history, and the stories of other Métis and Indigenous people.

• Why it matters: Stories are the heart of who we are. They help us remember, heal, and find belonging. Whether you know a lot or a little, every story is enough.

• How to walk it: Listen, reflect, share, and connect. Your story matters, even if it feels unfinished.

  Read more

  
  

2. The Path of Spirit

• What it is: Reconnecting with spirituality, ceremony, and a sense of the sacred, whatever that looks like for you.

• Why it matters: Métis spirituality is a continuum. It might be ceremony, church, time on the land, or a blend of many things.

• How to walk it: Attend a ceremony, light a candle, pray, smudge, or simply spend time in nature. There’s no single right way.

  Read more

  
  

3. The Path of Land

• What it is: Building, (or rebuilding), your relationship with the land. This could mean gardening, foraging, fishing, camping, or simply being outside.

• Why it matters: The land is our teacher and relative. Connection to land is at the heart of Métis and Indigenous identity.

• How to walk it: Grow something, go for a walk, learn about local plants, or just sit quietly and listen to the world around you.

  Read more

  
  

4. The Path of Community

• What it is: Finding or creating community, whether that means family, friends, Elders, online groups, or anyone who supports your journey.

• Why it matters: We heal and grow together. Community is where we share, learn, and feel a sense of belonging.

• How to walk it: Reach out, join a group, attend an event, or simply connect with one person who understands.

  Read more

  
  

Walking Together

You don’t have to walk all four paths at once. You might spend more time on one, or move between them as your journey unfolds. There’s no right order and no deadline. Every step is enough.

The Four Paths are about walking together, sharing stories, supporting each other, and remembering that you are always enough. Whether you’re just starting or have been on this journey for years, you belong here.

Ready to explore?

Check out the next articles for a deeper look at each path: Story, Spirit, Land, and

Community. Let’s keep walking together.