“I would like to begin by recognizing that we are on the ancestral land of the Algonquin people,” Justin Trudeau began in his remarks to the House of Commons in February 2018.
Land acknowledgements like these are not new, with similar statements being heard all over the country, and even on campuses. They are read before meetings, graduation ceremonies, or even at the beginning of a class. But what do they really mean, and why are they important?
Ashley Courchene, an Indigenous student and vice-president (finance) of the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA), said that these acknowledgements have always been a part of Indigenous culture and territorial rights.
“I’m not just saying it for the sake of it—I’m recognizing my place as a visitor on Algonquin territory,” he said.
Courchene said land acknowledgements are meant to serve as a reminder to non-Indigenous people that they’re living in a settler colonial society. “What does it mean to them, to be on this land knowing that it is under this system, relationship and structure of settler colonialism?”
Patrick Mascoe, a grade five teacher at Charles H. Hulse Public School, wrote an opinion piece in the Ottawa Citizen about land acknowledgements being meaningless.
He said he was confused by the recent introduction of daily land acknowledgements into his classrooms—especially since there was no explanation or teaching of their significance.
“I’m a big believer in that if you’re going to introduce something, you teach it first, and then you introduce it,” he said. “You don’t do it the other way around.”
Mascoe noticed that many of his students didn’t understand what these acknowledgements meant, and wondered what it had to do with them. “I did address that, and we talked about residential schools, and I did use that as a teachable moment,” he said.
“I don’t know if it needs to be a daily thing, because I do think maybe you become desensitized,” Mascoe said. He points out that many of his colleagues will get up to get coffee or chat during the land acknowledgements at teacher federation meetings. “They are a waste of time if we don’t do it right.”
A few years ago, the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) passed motion to give the Algonquin Land Acknowledgement before every council meeting. Shawn Humphrey, council chair for CUSA, said the motion caused very little controversy or discussion.
“Most people seemed to be in overall support of it, ” he said.
The acknowledgement states, “The Carleton University Students’ Association acknowledges the ancestral and traditional territory of the Algonquin Nation on whose territory we stand on today.”
Courchene is currently working with the GSA to create a new version of the land acknowledgement. “As good as the current one is, I think it’s time for a new updated version, because people will hear the same thing over and over again, and they start to tune it out, wait for it to be done, and just move on.”
For more information on Indigenous, Métis and Inuit cultures and traditions, students can visit the Mawandoseg Centre.
Location: 426i University Centre
Hours:
Monday 12:00pm-2:00pm
Tuesday 9:00am-2:00pm
Wednesday 9:00am-2:00pm
Thursday 9:00am-11:00am
Friday 9:00am-2:00pm
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article stated that students can go to the Ojigkwanong Centre for more information on Indigenous traditions. The more appropriate space is the Mawandoseg Centre. The article has been edited to reflect this. This mistake also appeared in the print version.
Photo by Jasmine Foong
