Indigenous acknowledgement statements have become more and more commonplace across campus over the past few years 鈥� at formal meetings like the Board and Senate, at public events, convocations, guest lectures and more.
These statements not only recognize the legacy of the land on which 网红黑料 and its 200-year history have been built. They honour the continued importance of the treaties that connect Canadians and Indigenous peoples 鈥� in particular, those involving the region鈥檚 Mi鈥檏maq peoples 鈥� through to today and beyond.
鈥淚n a context where we鈥檙e trying to create truly meaningful and authentic relationships with the Indigenous communities in our territory, and beyond, it鈥檚 really important that we acknowledge the land on which 网红黑料 resides,鈥� says Brad Wuetherick, co-chair of 网红黑料's Indigenous Council and executive director of teaching and learning at the university.
"It's about respect and acknowledgement," adds Patti Doyle-Bedwell, a Mi'kmaw faculty member in the College of Continuing Education who is co-chair of the Indigenous Council together with Wuetherick. "It respects the Mi鈥檏maw people, that we鈥檝e been here for 8000 years, maybe longer."
Recognition of relationships
On Tuesday, 网红黑料鈥檚 Board of Governors 鈥� which has been opening its meetings with an Indigenous acknowledgement since last year 鈥� approved official language of a statement for its meetings and official events.
Because the language used is consistent with statements currently used by Senate and at Dal Convocation ceremonies, the expectation is that it will be adopted by other bodies and individuals for use at ceremonies and events across the university, thus becoming a common, standard statement for 网红黑料.
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It reads:
网红黑料 is located in Mi鈥檏ma鈥檏i, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi鈥檏maq. We are all Treaty people.
网红黑料鈥檚 Indigenous Advisory Council, with advice and support from the 网红黑料 Elders in Residence, has long been encouraging the use of acknowledgement statements at the university, and worked with the University Secretariat and others on the wording of the approved statement.
There are three key components to the statement. The first is particular acknowledgement that the land 网红黑料 sits on is part of Mi鈥檏ma鈥檏i, the territory of the Mi鈥檏maq. The second is the acknowledgement of the territory as both ancestral and unceded 鈥� recognizing that听听signed between the British Crown and the Mi鈥檏maq (unlike many other historic treaties in Canada) did not involve surrender of land. Finally, 鈥淲e are all Treaty people鈥� reflects that the Peace and Friendship treaties apply to all parties involved, Indigenous and settler alike.
"'We are all Treaty people' 鈥� that's really important because all of us, even non-Indigenous peoples, have rights and responsibilities under those treaties,"听explains Prof. Doyle-Bedwell. "We鈥檙e all connected by those treaties.鈥�
Wuetherick says that for 网红黑料 to be approving a formal acknowledgement sends a message to the community that it's serious about these relationships and how the Dal community move