This book is comprised of chapters shared by authors across many lands, and we would like to open with an acknowledgement of our territories.

In a spirit of sharing, we are grateful to the University of Saskatchewan for providing guidance on land acknowledgements. We share their teachings here to help situate our own acknowledgements, and to support you in your own work: https://teaching.usask.ca/curriculum/indigenous_voices/land-acknowledgements/module.php

Editor Meghan Norris is situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee Peoples. She is grateful to live, learn, and play on these lands. To personalize this land acknowledgement, Meghan would like to share some of the reasons she is grateful for these lands. She enjoys rowing, and has learned that rowing on the Cataraqui River means meeting curious water snakes, and marveling at watching the water plants grow. Walking her dogs, she sees osprey and eagles. Her backyard is full of robins, wrens, woodpeckers, cardinals, crows, chickadees and finches. Being grateful for such beauty means taking responsibility for its care, especially as a settler on these lands. She encourages you to take a moment on your lands to appreciate the beauty and community around you, and consider how you can fulfil your responsibility to sustain it.

Editor Steven Smith is situated in Mi’kma’ki, the the traditional lands of the Mi’kmaq Nation. This territory is covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik peoples first signed with the British Crown in 1725. The treaties did not deal with surrender of lands and resources but in fact, recognized Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship. Steven is grateful to his Indigenous friends and colleagues who have helped him understand the true history of Canada and its Indigenous peoples, and what he has been able to learn about his own family heritage and our collective past.

We would like to express gratitude to the many colleagues who supported the creation of this open access resource. First, we would like to express thanks to the Queen’s University Library who provided financial, practical, and collegial support for the creation of this book. Thank you to our many authors who generously have shared knowledge, insights, and expertise. Thank you to our student project coordinators, Sophia Coppolino and Floor Nusselder–this project was possible with sincere thanks to their work. Finally, a heartfelt thank you to Karen Cohen and Kerri Ritchie. This resource only happened because Meghan shared the idea for this book on a conference call, and pitched it as a pipe dream. To her surprise, they said she should do it. Sometimes a spark of enthusiasm from colleagues can start something big. This all serves as a reminder that great colleagues are worth their weight in gold, and that the academic community is something truly special.