From Local Love

U of T's Land Acknowledgement

For over 15,000 years Toronto has been a gathering site for humans. This sacred land is the territory of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit River. The territory was the subject of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, a coming together of the Iroquois and Ojibwe Confederacies and other allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. Today, Toronto is still a meeting place for Indigenous people from across Turtle Island, and immigrants, both new and old, from across the world. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in the community, and on this territory

What is a land acknowledgement? ¹

A land acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes the unique and lasting relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territory.

Why should we Acknowledge the Land?

UTSC recognizes and values the richness of human diversity in its many forms, and therefore strives to ensure environments where students from all walks of life, identities, and lived experiences feel a sense of belonging and can participate fully. This commitment to inclusion means UTSC Student Life culture, programming and practices encourage self-awareness and awareness of others. Acknowledging land does just this and is a means of recognizing that Indigenous Peoples have a long and continuing relationship with the land that we hold meetings and events on. Recognizing land allows for the creation of a safe space, open dialogue and community building with Indigenous communities. It is a way for us to acknowledge and appreciate the land we meet on, and a way of recognizing and respecting the Indigenous Peoples, past and present, who have been living and working on the land.

When should a land acknowledgement be done?

A land acknowledgement can be done when you are holding a special event, activity, camp or training, or at the start of your regular meetings.

How do I make a land acknowledgement?

Typically, a land acknowledgement is said at the beginning of an event or significant meeting by the host.

Stating the acknowledgement at the beginning allows for reflection and mindfulness to be built into your meeting/event.

While UTSC has created a land acknowledgement template, you are encouraged to adapt the statement to fit the needs and goals of your particular meeting/event or make it personal by using the activity: Acknowledging your truth.

There are many acceptable ways to acknowledge the territory and local Indigenous Peoples so please make an acknowledgement that best represents your experience and relationship with local Indigenous communities and the land you are meeting on.

Please be sure to learn the pronunciation of the Indigenous communities you are acknowledging. If you are unsure, you can call the band office of the Nation closes to you to hear the proper pronunciation. You may also wish to practice saying the name aloud before your meeting/event.

What are traditional, ancestral and unceded lands?

Traditional recognized lands are lands that were traditionally used by Indigenous People.

Ancestral recognized lands are handed down from generation to generation.

Unceded refers to land that was not turned over to the Crown by a treaty or other agreement. Please be sure to do some research and check the resources provided to see how you should word your land acknowledgement, whether you include traditional, ancestral and/or unceded.

How do I make a land acknowledgement meaningful?

As previously mentioned, please adapt the land acknowledgement to best represent your community and the land your meeting/event is taking place on. Some suggestions for deepening your reflection on the land acknowledgement include:

Choose an activity from the 150 Acts of Reconciliation to do with participants at the beginning of your meeting
Reflect on your own connection to the land you are meeting on
Reflect on a specific section or sentence of the land acknowledgement.

I’m interested in learning more about Indigenous People’s history in Canada and Indigenous territories. What can I do?

There are a number of places you can go for more information:

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) is a component of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. Its mandate is to inform all Canadians about what happened in Indian Residential Schools. http://www.trc.ca/

150 Acts of Reconciliation: Activehistory.ca published a list of 150 acts that Canadians can undertake to think about Indigenous-settler relationships in new ways. http://activehistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/150acts-1.pdf
Learn about the history of colonization, Indigenous Peoples and cultures, and the land you live on. There are many books, blogs, documentaries, etc.,

Once you've created a working land acknowledgement, you have the responsibility to continue your self-education by asking questions and learning more about reconciliation.

What privileges do you have on this land because of colonialism? What can you do to better care for the land? Who lived on this land before you? What personal or organizational practices do you have in place to work towards reconciliation?²

Additional Resources:

Local Love
UTSC's Indigenous Book Club

1 Prepared by Juanita Muise, Indigenous Education Coordinator (Office of Student Experience & Wellbeing)

2 Retrieved from:
Colma, Elysee. Why Do We Do Land Acknowledgements? (2020, September 01). Retrieved September 08, 2020, from https://ywcavan.org/blog/2019/01/why-do-we-do-land-acknowledgements