Learning About the Land: Land Acknowledgements that Teach Us
Image by D. Sehmby
“The roots of this tree spread deep into the body of Mother Earth.”
(Bopp et al., The Sacred Tree)
Towards a meaningful land acknowledgement
Land acknowledgements are not intended to be simply a list of Indigenous peoples who have historically lived or who continue to live in Canada. To have value, a land acknowledgement must be viewed as a means to voice what has long been unvoiced, Indigenous heritages and legacies. As victims of Canadian colonization, many aspects of Indigenous people have been erased and marginalized, including the voices of Indigenous peoples. Greenway (2023) worries that “Land Acknowledgements have become a task list or a checkmark beside a meeting agenda.”
A land acknowledgement is one attempt to address past and contemporary wrongdoings. As the Native Governance Center (2019) indicates, a land acknowledgment should not “sugarcoat the past” but also “shouldn’t be grim” and can be varied. Building such a balance takes time, care, and reflection. Land acknowledgments are contemplative and should not be rushed because you are engaged in self-reflective work that requires a shift in mindset or awareness.
Context and purpose: learning about the land
A land acknowledgment is an Indigenous practice of honouring one’s position in relation to the land. A land acknowledgment is a reclamation of a reciprocal worldview that honours the land, its spirit, and the land’s life-giving function. In particular, a land acknowledgment centres Indigenous people (past, present, and future) as stewards. Land-based research is one way to begin building a meaningful land acknowledgment. Because the land serves as a way to understand the world around us, the people of the land, and ourselves, exploring the land where you live (or have lived and will live) is an important step.
“If the people wander too far away from the safety of the Tree, if they forget to eat its fruit, or if they should turn against the Tree and try to destroy it, great sadness will fall upon the people. Many will become sick at heart. The people will lose their power.”
(Bopp et al., The Sacred Tree)
Strategies: working towards an inclusive land acknowledgement
While you can simply read a land acknowledgment, you can also deepen your relationship to a land acknowledgment by engaging in a reflective shift towards land-based thinking. To do so, consider how you live daily.
Initial Reflective Exercise: How disconnected are you from the land?
Through writing and/or discussion, take a moment to reflect on your current lifestyle. Where do you get your food or clothes? Do you wake up and fall asleep with the natural daylight cycle? Realizing how contemporary lifestyles are disconnected from the land is a valuable first step toward a land-based mindset.
Collaborative Land-Based Learning Exercise
One way is by addressing the land upon which you live, so you can value all the land has and continues to offer. To begin contemplating the land, move through the following steps.
Step 1: Form a group and introduce yourselves to one another. As you do so, share the various lands upon which you have lived and/or travelled.
Step 2: Select a location (in Canada) that your group can explore further.
Step 3: Conduct some preliminary research into that location. You may explore the location in one or several ways. Look at the past/present. Some potential ways are as follows: Indigenous history/people, environment, culture, economics, politics, food, clothing, art, media, dance, etc. You can also consider viewing the land through a lens informed by your field (STEM, Arts, Fine Arts, etc.) or through any number of views. Be ready to share some of what you have learned.
Remember, this is a first, contemplative step, where you take time to reflect on your mindset through learning about the land. You are one step closer to a meaningful land acknowledgment.
Learn more: additional resources
Internal Resource
University of Alberta Acknowledgment of Traditional Territory
External Resources
Bopp et al. (1988). The Sacred Tree: Reflections on Native American Spirituality. Lethbridge: Four Worlds Development Project
Greenway, Jen. (2023, February 21). Reconciliation-Based Land Acknowledgements. J. Greenway
Native Governance Center. (2019, October 22). A Guide to Indigenous land acknowledgement. Native Governance Center
Land Acknowledgments: Going Beyond the Script
Have you ever wondered how to create your own territorial acknowledgement, or why you might want to create one? With help and guidance from University of Alberta faculty and staff you, too, can create personal, meaningful, and impactful territorial acknowledgments. Watch the full length video.
Looking for more? Explore our Resources section.
