Why Acknowledge?

Reconciliation

As we engage in processes of reconciliation it is critical that land acknowledgements don't become a token gesture. They are not meant to be static, scripted statements that every person must recite in exactly the same way. They are expressions of relationship, acknowledging not just the territory someone is on, but that person’s connection to that land based on knowledge that has been shared with them.

Lindsay DuPré, Metis Nation

Relationship To Land

Getting to know people, creating a relationship to the place that you are from, the water that you drink...getting to know these things in an intimate way, is what essentially, will change peoples minds, change peoples hearts. Acknowledging the land and water that sustains us and life on Mother Earth is part of becoming a balanced and present human being. Its about honouring and protecting the land and water, honouring ourselves and our bodies.

Nigit'stil Norbert, Gwich'ya Gwich'in, Born and raised in Denendeh, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

To acknowledge this land on which we stand is to acknowledge truth. To acknowledge truth is to acknowledge connection and disconnection. To acknowledge connection and disconnection is to acknowledge the Nations who care for our mother. To acknowledge our mother is to acknowledge truth. To acknowledge truth is to acknowledge that truth is at the forefront of the conversation.

Monique Aura, Oneida Nation

Resources

• National Association of Friendship Centres
• Protocol for Thanking Host First Nation
• Protocol on First Nations Treaty Lands
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
• Kitchen Table Guide For Reconciliation Dialogue
• Seeding Reconciliation on Uneven Ground: The 4Rs Approach to Cross Cultural Dialogue
• Reconciliation Canada
• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• Amnesty International Activism Skills