What is a territory acknowledgment?
A territory acknowledgment is “considered a respectful, yet political, statement that acknowledges the colonial context of the Indigenous territory/territories where a gathering is taking place” (UBC Library, 2022). These acknowledgments are usually formal statements that take place before a gathering or event occurs, and help to create awareness and mindfulness of the land we are on and those who have taken care of this land for time immemorial.
Our Territory Acknowledgment
We would like to thank, with deep gratitude, the W̱SÁNEĆ nations: Tsartlip, Tseycum, Tsawout, Pauquachin, Malahat as well as the Songhees and Esquimalt nations for their meaningful relationships with this land and their strength and resilience which allows us a safe place to learn, live, teach, and enjoy every day.
Where do I start?
- Research-start with knowing whose land you are on. Who are they? What is their story?
- Native Land Interactive Map: this is a great resource to start your research. Look up your location to learn more, but don’t stop there! Continue to researching the Indigenous group/band to learn more.
- Pronunciation– learn how to pronounce the name/names of the nation/nations you are acknowledging.
- First Voices: this is a great source that we will reference over and over again. Explore this interactive page for information on language. We are currently working to develop our resource page on language!
- Reflection– take a moment to reflect on the land you are on, and think about the practices/events that have taken place which allow you to be here today.
An emphasis on meaning and mindfulness
In many cases, you might be introduced to territory or land acknowledgments from your institution, where a guiding script has been created. These statements are a great place to start when becoming familiar with territory acknowledgments, but in some cases these scripts can start to sound merely obligatory and begin to lose the true meaning behind them.
So the question becomes: how do we restore meaning to our territory acknowledgments?
These acknowledgments are more than just stating whose land we are on. It is about creating a sense of mindfulness and gratitude that we can carry with us throughout our day-to-day routines. Check out the short video below, of Stephen Paquette’s emphasis on relationships in our acknowledgments.
So as you move forward in this process of territory and land acknowledgments, we would like to reference the amazing blog post by Alicia Mwena Richins and suggest you ask yourself the following four questions:
1) Whose land are you on?
“Write them down, then look them up. Learn how to pronounce their names. Learn something about their culture and traditions” (Richins, 2021).
2) How did you get there?
“When did your family first arrive where you are? What were the conditions that made that possible? What were the privileges they enjoyed? What were the hardships they faced?” (Richins, 2021).
3) How do you connect to land?
“What images immediately come up for you? If you’ve never really thought about it before, now is a great time to try” (Richins, 2021).
4) How will you honour the privilege of your place?
“You’re on stolen land, and you got here however you got here. And you benefit from your place on this stolen land, so how do you honour those traditional caretakers that made your home possible? How do you support their plight? How do you reconcile?” (Richins, 2021).