Land Between Waters to be celebrated on MS Chi-Cheemaun and Manitoulin tour – Anishinabek News
May 15, 2026
MANITOULIN ISLAND/MNIDOO MNISING – Mark Zelinski’s passion for the Niagara Escarpment, it’s history, and the people that live on it has him launching his new book, Niagara Escarpment: Land Between Waters, over what he calls the heart of Turtle Island.
“Going back to my last book, The Heart of Turtle Island, Lenore Keeshig of Neyaashiinigmiing First Nation wrote a chapter in the book. She educated me about the geomythology of the area from the peninsula to Manitoulin Island. And the ancient land bridge that used to connect Saugeen Peninsula with Manitoulin Island. 10,000 years ago, there was a land bridge and people could walk across from the island to the peninsula. Right around the mid-point, there was a canyon, which is still there but it’s underwater now. And a giant waterfall; the largest waterfall that’s ever existed on earth apparently. And near the top of the waterfall, there’s remnants of ancient villages there. So, people lived there as well. So, that’s where the idea for the last book, Heart of Turtle Island, came from. This was the center of the world. Also, because in that ancient sea that eventually became the Niagara Escarpment, a lot of the life forms that existed on earth began in that ancient tropical sea. That escarpment is the rim of that whole old sea that was there 450 million years ago.”
