Land Acknowledgement
All of Canada resides on the traditional territories, treaty or unceded lands and/or homelands of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. These lands hold the ancestral and on-going connections and stories of Indigenous peoples since time immemorial. Indigenous peoples are actively maintaining and strengthening their relationships with the land which are grounded in respect, reciprocity and resiliency.
Land acknowledgements can be an act of reconciliation toward the rebuilding of relationships with Indigenous peoples and lands. By voicing our respect, responsibility and actions, we can strengthen our relationship to the land that sustains us, with Indigenous peoples who hold the land sacred and to one another.
On This Page
Creating your Land Acknowledgement
Land acknowledgements need to be intentional, dynamic and living processes that evolve with our understanding of the land, Indigenous peoples, their traditional territories, treaty or unceded lands and/or homelands, as well as our relationships with one another.
Preparing a land acknowledgement is a reflective process and should include:
- Consideration of your audience and medium (e.g oral, written or audiovisual)
- Gratitude for the land and recognition of the regional Indigenous Nations, treaty partners and local communities;
- Your positionality, as an individual, group or organization; and
- Your commitments with actions towards reconciliation.
As an aspect of reconciliation, Indigenous peoples should not be expected to deliver a land acknowledgement.
Be creative and make your land acknowledgement engaging and educational.
Our Campuses
The three campuses – University of Guelph (Guelph), Ridgetown (Ridgetown) and Guelph-Humber (Toronto) reside within the Dish with One Spoon wampum.
Our campuses are also on land recognized as traditional hunting grounds of the Six Nations of the Grand River (Haudenosaunee) through the Nanfan Treaty (Albany, 1701).
Guelph Campus
The Guelph campus is located within the Between the Lakes Purchase (1784, confirmed 1792); the treaty and territory of Mississaugas of the Credit (Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg).
It is important to recognize the unique, long-standing and on-going relationships the Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee have with the land and each other.
The archeological record indicates the presence of the Attawandaron people who are no longer an independent nation.
Ridgetown Campus
The Ridgetown campus is located within the McKee Purchase (1790); the treaty lands of Odawa, Potawatomi and Ojibwe (collectively, the Anishinaabeg) within what is now Southern Ontario. It is recognized that the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee and Lūnaapéewak have unique, long-standing and on-going relationships with the land in this region.
Guelph-Humber Campus
Guelph-Humber campus is located within the Toronto Purchase (1787); the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit (Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg).
It is recognized that the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee and Huron-Wendat have unique, long-standing and on-going relationships with the land in this region.
Beyond Our Campuses
As students, faculty and staff who may travel for work, study and research, it is important to recognize the lands of Indigenous peoples locally and around the world. To learn more, explore local Indigenous community resources to educate yourself on who they are, how they refer to themselves and their lands.
Terminology
Haudenosaunee (ho-den-no-show-nee) collectively refers to the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Oneida and Tuscarora Nations.
Anishinaabeg (ah-nish-in-a-beg) alternatively, Nishnaabeg above refers to the Mississaugas, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Odawa and Chippewa Nations. The term is how they refer to themselves in their related language, Anishinaabemowin. Anishinaabe is the singular form of the term.
Lūnaapéewak (len-ah-pay-wuk) refers to the Delaware Nation in their language.
Practice your pronunciation using online Indigenous language resources.