By Shannon Cossette
"As we gather here today, we acknowledge we are on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respect to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another."
Four years ago, the University of Saskatchewan (USask) officially introduced a new Indigenous land acknowledgement to open public speaking engagements, events and meetings.
The greeting was formalized after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's final report was released, urging governments, institutions and organizations to engage in the process of redressing the legacy of residential schools by responding to the TRC's 94 Calls to Action. At USask, the land acknowledgement quickly became one small but meaningful way to begin that process.
"Acknowledging the land, and all the life within it, in various ways is something that First Nations, Inuit and Métis people have done for generations," said Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann (PhD), the vice-provost of Indigenous Engagement at USask. "Expressions of gratitude and respect for the land, was practiced long before European settlers arrived on Turtle Island (North America). Indigenous people have had an intimate relationship and knowledge of these places and spaces.
"Land acknowledgement pays respect to those from our past and also to those who will experience our territories in generations to come. Land acknowledgments should be respectful, be reverent to the Creator, recognize the need for the right relationship, be communicated with humility and gratitude."
For more information
105 Administration Place
Saskatoon Saskatchewan
Canada S7N 5A2
www.usask.ca
