Acknolwedging the Land
​Click the button above for resources on land acknowledgements, including sample land acknowledgements, criticisms and dialogue on the role of land acknowledgements, and tips on how to create your own!

A land acknowledgment is a practice of recognizing that the land we are on in the land of Indigenous peoples. Land acknowledgements are usually shared at the start of a gathering and will name the Indigenous communities with traditional or territorial relationships with the land as well as any treaties pertaining to the land. 
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Land acknowledgements are an opportunity for groups to address and deconstruct their colonial context. It is important that the land acknowledgement is just the start of the conversation. Land acknowledgments are lived out through genuine and ongoing commitments to the work of reconciliation. 

what are land acknolwedgements & why they matter

Why are land acknowledgments important? Naomi Bob - Indigenous Voices on Reconciliation [Video explaining land acknowledgements and appropriate protocol] 
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/territorial-acknowledgements-indigenous-1.4175136 [An article explaining land acknowledgements and their meaning] 
https://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc2/the-feed/what-is-a-land-acknowledgment [An article from CBC Kids that explains land acknowledgements in language accessible for all ages]. 
Why are territorial acknowledgements important?’ [Video from Reg Crowshoe, former Chief of the Piikuni First Nation, on why land acknowledgements matter] ​
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land acknowledgement guides

https://united-church.ca/sites/default/files/acknowledging-the-territory.pdf [A United Church resource on why and how Communities of Faith might acknowledge land] 
https://nativegov.org/news/a-guide-to-indigenous-land-acknowledgment/ 
​https://native-land.ca/resources/territory-acknowledgement/ 
https://nativegov.org/resources/ 

Local Resources & Examples | Chinook Winds

Treaty 7 Land Acknowledgment | Indigenous Services | Calgary Public Library [Video teaching a land acknowledgement for Treaty 7 with actions] 
Land Acknowledgement (Full) 
Treaty 7 Storytime | Trudy Wesley: “Ne Îethka Makochî Chach” | Calgary Public Library [Video of a picture book on the story of Treaty 7 land being read aloud] 
Land Acknowledgement #1 ​

Local Resources & examples | Pacific mountain

how to acknowledge the land (generally) - in a step by step:
Where am I? 
Land acknowledgements should acknowledge the specific Indigenous peoples related to the land whenever possible. If you don’t know the names of the communities whose land you are on, use the resources below! 
https://www.whose.land/en/ 
https://native-land.ca/ 
Some questions to consider.... 

• Are you on treaty land? 
• Are you on shared land? Is there more than one community relationships to this place? 

What do I say? 

1. Speak from the heart. Reflect on why you are acknowledging the land, who is the group you are acknowledging the land with, and what does that mean for you.  

1. Learn the correct names of the Indigenous communities you are acknowledging, and practice saying them.  

1. Check pronunciation guides to speak well. When possible, use resources that are developed by the community you are talking about: for example, here is a guide on the pronunciation of Musqueam. http://musqueam.zenutech.com/language 

1. Use respectful language – for example, use the terms ‘Nation’ or ‘peoples’ when referring to Indigenous groups, instead of ‘tribes’ or ‘bands’. Even better – research the language that the groups you are acknowledging prefer.  
   
   WHO's LISTENINGS?
   ​Context is key! Prepare your land acknowledgement according to the space and audience. 
2. Are you in a small group? A big group? 
3. Are you online? Or in person? 

1. All ages?  

1. A group that meets repeatedly? A one time gathering? 
2. Embody your land acknowledgements 
3. embody your physical space – perhaps including actions in your land acknowledgement, or inviting a group to ground their bodies before starting 
4. include symbols in your land acknowledgement, which help all ages to visualize the land acknowledgement and serve as a reminder for the rest of the gathering 

1. examples: NNW puppet, piece of art, cedar bough (local plant) ​​​​​

criticisms of land acknowledgements:
- tiktok videos/critical articles
https://theeyeopener.com/2021/03/opinion-before-you-state-a-land-acknowledgement-mean-it/?fbclid=IwAR0Ilo6vWggj2Y4tm1Y6CY9672C2WSLelB_FKAb6zwc7Ve2MfrtN72BOMto ​

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So what? 
A Land Acknowledgement is the start of a conversation, not the end! Talk about the language: what does it mean to be treaty? What does it mean to be on unceded land? Make time to reflect on these as a group. 
What does it mean when we acknowledge the land? 
How will we move in this place differently? 
Why does the land acknowledgement matter? 
How am I connected to this land? 
How am I committing to reconciliation and land justice? 
What are my responsibilities to the land? What are my responsibilities to the Indigenous communities related to it? 

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Keep it fresh & try new things! 
Land acknowledgements are living things – adapting them for each context or meeting can help us to hear them differently, to avoid it becoming rote practice, and to be responsive to the dynamic context 

• Pull in contemporary issues – make time to learn! 

• Share leadership – take turns acknowledging land & invite other members of a group to acknowledge the land in their own words 
• Include an invitation, action piece or commitment – reflect on how a land acknowledgement will change your and your groups relationship with land and with your Indigenous neighbours 
• Learn indigenous place names for your place or places near you, where appropriate 
• Learn the stories of the land and share them, where appropriate  

Ideas to Go Deeper...

• all ages & children
• youth & young adults
• families
• online meetings

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Go deeper (all ages): 
Talk about the words we use during our land acknowledgements. Some of them might be new, or hard to understand!  
https://www.whose.land/en/less on-plans 
https://nativegov.org/news/beyond-land-acknowledgment-guide/ 
Land Acknowledgement Body Prayer
*insert here are as a file*

Take the opportunity to use a land acknowledgement to open dialogue with youth and young adults. 
https://apihtawikosisan.com/2016/09/beyond-territorial-acknowledgments/ 
Land acknowledgement | Baroness von Sketch Show [Satirical video on land acknowledgements] 
https://walkingeaglenews.com/2021/10/15/new-brunswick-hiring-wizard-amid-fears-land-acknowledgements-can-magically-return-land-to-first-nations-leaked-memo/ [Satirical article about land acknowledgements] ​

o deeper (families):
Create your own land acknowledgement: 
As a household, try creating a land acknowledgement together. Land acknowledgements are something that anyone can do, and they take practice. As a household, create a Land Acknowledgement. The questions below can help create a living land acknowledgement that grows with your household!  (with the visual accompaniment)

• Reflect together: 

• What is a Land Acknowledgement? 
• Why do we acknowledge land? 

• LEARN together: 

• Whose land are you on? (to start, try exploring this: FPCC map) 
• What are the words people use for land acknowledgements in your area? What do those words mean? 

• CREATE together 

• Will your acknowledgement have words, art, or actions? 

• Will your land acknowledgement happen at a particular time or place? 

• LIVE IT OUT together: (or: practice together/embody together/act together/change together/live it together) 

• How often will you acknowledge the land? 
• What changes when we acknowledge the land? ​
  

Ideas for online land acknowledgements:  

• Have everyone share in a chat what land they’re on 

• BONUS: invite participants to learn more about each other’s places 

• Have everyone take a body break and go outside to connect with the land near them 

• Take the opportunity to share a video – what can you learn about the land you are in?