Finding Your Personal Land Acknowledgement
As the Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued its report in 2015 and many postsecondary institutions were reacting to the Calls to Action, the University of Saskatchewan had unanimously passed a motion to adopt and use an official Land Acknowledgement:
As we gather here today, we acknowledge we are on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respect to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another.
The Land Acknowledgement was developed in a good way with Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, faculty and staff. The acknowledgement has become a testament and symbol of our campus community’s commitment to reconciliation. For a deeper description of the Land Acknowledgement, please visit Office of the Vice-provost of Indigenous Engagement webpage.
Today, people are interested in digging deeper into knowing how the Land Acknowledgement can be a great starting point for engaging in reconciliation. If you are a new friend or support to Indigenous Peoples, you may not know that the Land Acknowledgement is an old tradition. It has been a way for visitors to a land to demonstrate and pay homage to the First Nations people you are engaging. It recognizes the strength and wisdom of the place that has given rise to the people who are of that land and it invokes the spirit of that place to support your good intentions. By recognizing the intimate relationship between the place and people, you are demonstrating that you understand what is important and that you are trustworthy. To do this, you must use your own voice and provide the Land Acknowledgement from your heart.
Through a series of 5 video blogs, we invite you to explore a few different elements that are important to understand before building your own Land Acknowledgement: worldviews, positionality, treaties and the Metis homeland. The goal is to help you to build your own awareness about the Indigenous philosophy of wahkotowin (all our relations) and how you can honour it when you engage these elements and create your own land acknowledgement.
By the end of this chapter you should be able to:
Chapter Outcomes
- Understand the historical significance of land acknowledgements to First Nation peoples.
- Recognition of the humble and sincere approach required to thoughtfully engage in the practice of acknowledging the land and the original inhabitants.
- Engage in thoughtful reflection of your personal worldview and position on the land.
- Commit to walking the path to truth and (re)conciliation and making meaningful steps towards a better relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people of this land.
So… Lets begin.
Please note that there are no explicit guidelines or directions for how to achieve a perfect Land Acknowledgement, there is only heart, truth, acceptance and openness when you are delivering it to others.