Land Acknowledgement
Written by Barb Fabijan-Waddell, Christian Morneau, & Kate Heney
This place we call home is familiar and comfortable
yet unknown and mysterious
full of stories not yet heard
or stories blatantly ignored
We are inhabitants
settlers, guests, travellers, seekers
this space inherited from others whose memory could inform…
in this space, borrowed
if we listened, honoured and acted.
We open our hearts… minds… spirits…
and we feel it…
the earth beneath our feet
the caress of the breeze
the tremors of use
sometimes crossing over the threshold to misuse
We hear it…
faint echoes of creating, drumming, singing, dancing, ritual
quiet echoes of daily life
echoes of sacred understanding
We are ready to receive the wisdom of stories
traditions and teachings stretching far back in time
We invite you to join us on this journey
of discovery
love
renewal
reconciliation
It is an honour to be gathered here together on Treaty 7 territory near where the Bow and the Elbow River meet. The traditional Blackfoot name of this place is “Moh’kins’tsis”, which we also call the City of Calgary.
Here, we acknowledge the traditional and ancestral territory and oral practices of the Blackfoot Confederacy, which includes the Siksika (Sihk-sig-AH) Nation, the North and South Piikani (Bee-kah-nee) Nations and the Kainai (G-ai-nah) Nation. We also acknowledge the other members of Treaty 7 First Nations, the Tsuut’ina (Soots-in-naw) and Stoney (or Ĩyãħé, ee-YAH-hey) Nakoda, which include Chiniki, Bearspaw and Wesley First Nations.
In addition, the City of Calgary is home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Region 3).
Finally, we acknowledge our responsibility as Treaty people to protect and honour all nations, genders and spirits who live, work, play, and sing on this territory.