2 Land Acknowledgement

As the journey towards reconciliation in Canada continues, and we strive to fulfill the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action, it is important that we continue to build relationships and engage in ongoing education.

Reconciliation and allyship is a continuous process and one that we all need to engage in fully. With this in mind, we must take every appropriate opportunity to acknowledge the traditional territory on which we reside. Acknowledging the traditional territory expresses respect, gratitude and appreciation for the Indigenous peoples who have inhabited and continue to live on the land. It is recognition of their presence both in the past and the present. Recognition helps to create a welcome and safe environment for Indigenous students, their families and community members. This publication was created and organized by students and faculty of Ontario Tech University, therefore we will be using the land acknowledgement associated with the land the university resides on.

Ontario Tech University acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. We are thankful to be welcomed on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered under the Williams Treaties and the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to a number of Indigenous nations and people.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we remember the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by as we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.