We know that we are linked to one another through the winds that blow air into our lungs and the waters that flow deep into the earth and up into the sky as we gather in this virtual space. We recognize that the land under our feet has long been home to Indigenous People, many of whom have been forced to migrate to other lands. The names of the people who were the first to live, rejoice, mourn, and sing on the land where we sit are now shared.
We acknowledge the land we are meeting on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.
We are all privileged treaty signers and are thus responsible and accountable for the violence and oppression that Indigenous people face. Allyship is a continuous process; it is not a designation that one can earn and hold forever. It is also not a label one can give themselves, but one you earn from your actions and commitment to standing in solidarity.
We should acknowledge that reconciliation is an action, and to be effective, is an uncomfortable process. That includes the commitment to decentering settler voices and centering Indigenous voices, and, most critically, to making material concessions that change how we organize our institutions.
Credits: Evan Nguyen, Jennie Nguyen, Eva Chin, Victoria Villanueva, with text adapted from ‘Reconciliation Must Mean Action, Not Words’ and ‘Know the Land’.
