Acknowledgement of Ancestral Lands

Acknowledgement of Ancestral Lands

Artwork by Cedric Isaac, Bkejwanong Territory

The following Acknowledgement of Ancestral Lands has three components: yesterday, today, and tomorrow and reflects, in full circle, all that came before and all that comes after.
We are thankful for the Creator’s gift of Mother Earth, providing everything we need for life:  air, water, land, and all of Creation. We acknowledge that this land, surrounded  by water, on which we are gathered today is part of the ancestral land of the Anishinaabeg and the Lunaapeewak.
Together, as treaty people, we have a shared responsibility to act with respect for the environment, protecting the future for those generations to come.


Acknowledgement of Ancestral Lands Historical Background:  

We acknowledge that the Chippewa, Odawa, Potawatomi, known as the Anishinaabeg, and the Lunaapeewak, inhabited these lands at the time of the written treaties, these being: Treaty #2; Treaty #7; Treaty #25; Treaty #29.
We also acknowledge the earlier Indigenous people who travelled these lands prior to 1790 in the time of the Wampum treaties. It is through their connection with the spirit of the land, water and air that we recognize their unique culture, traditions, and values.
Today, we are part of the land that sustains all life, and it is the sacred responsibility of all people to ensure that the environment remains protected. Finally, we acknowledge that their inherent languages preclude any English/French meaning.

Language Pronunciations: 

Anishinaabeg  Chippewa   Lunaapeewak  Odawa     Potawatomi 
(ah-nish-i-nah-beg) (chip-uh-wah)  (le-naw-powuk)  (ō-dah-wah)   (pot-uh-wah-tuh-mee)