Clearview Township's Land Acknowledgement statement was developed and approved by Clearview Council in 2021.
What is a Land Acknowledgement? Why do we use one?
A territorial or land acknowledgement involves making a statement recognizing the traditional territory of the Indigenous people(s) who called the land home before the arrival of settlers, and in many cases still do call it home. The use of a land acknowledgment by Indigenous peoples at the start of gatherings, ceremonies and events is long-established. With the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, more non-Indigenous people are becoming aware of the importance.
Providing a land acknowledgement at the beginning of an event or meeting gives time for reflection and demonstrates recognition of Indigenous lands, treaties, and peoples. It involves thinking about what happened in the past and what changes can be made going forward to further the reconciliation process. Land acknowledgements mark a small and important step in the process of reconciliation and building a positive relationship with Indigenous peoples. By making a land acknowledgement you are taking part in an act of reconciliation, honouring the land and Indigenous presence which dates back over 10,000 years.
Using and participating in a land acknowledgement is a way to recognize the enduring presence and resilience of Indigenous peoples in this area. They are also a reminder that we are all accountable for these relationships.
Clearview Township's Land Acknowledgement
“I would like to begin our meeting/event/gathering by recognizing the First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples of Canada as traditional stewards and caretakers of the land. We acknowledge that Clearview Township is located within the boundaries of Treaty 18, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Tionontati, Wendat, and is the home of many First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples as part of an intricate nationhood that reaches across Turtle Island. At this time of truth and reconciliation, we welcome the opportunity to work together towards new understandings and new relationships and ask for guidance in all we do.”
Clearview's Indigenous Land Acknowledgement Education Session
November 25, 2021
Presenters:
- Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, Chair for Truth and Reconciliation for Lakehead University
- Jennifer Summerfield (she/her), Elementary School Teacher SCDSB
Anishinaabeg
Pronounciation: An – ish – in - aabe
Anishinaabe (singular form of Anishinaabeg) translates to original person and are comprised of the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Odawa (Ottawa), Chippewa, Mississauga, Saulteaux, Nipissing, and Algonquin people. The name Ojibwa was given to the group by the European colonialists and means "people whose moccasins have puckered seams". Today we use the traditional name, Anishinaabe. Their territory included the northern shores of Lake Huron and Lake Superior from Georgian Bay to the prairies. More information on the history of the Anishinaabe can be read at the Innisfil library website.
Haudenosaunee
Pronounciation: Hoe – De – Nah – Show - Nee
Commonly referred to as the Iroquois Confederacy or the League of Five Nations, the Haudenosaunee of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy translates to People of the longhouse. Originally, the confederacy was comprised of five nations: The Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, and Mohawk. The Tuscarora joined later in the early 18th century to form what is now known as the Six Nations. Historically, the Haudenosaunee inhabited territory that extended from the Gensee River in the west, through the Finger Lakes regions to the Hudson River in the east. For more information on the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, please visit their website.
Tionontati
Pronounciation: Tee – oh – nahn – TAH - tee
The Tionontati are a lesser-known Indigenous group who occupied nine villages in the highlands South and West of Nottawasaga Bay extending West to the Southeastern shores of Lake Huron. Tionontati translates as people of the hills or on the other side of the mountain. After contact, the French nick-named them Gens de petun meaning Tobacco Nation, eventually shortening to Petun (tobacco) which can be misleading as there are no records of them growing tobacco. After a series of epidemics and conflicts in the 1600s, the small amount of surviving Tionontati amalgamated with other tribes and joined the Wendat. More information can be found at the Clearview Library – Petun to Wyandot by Charles Garrad, through the Canadian Encyclopedia, as well as on the Dufferin County Museum and Wyandotte Nation websites.
Wendat
Pronounciation: When - Dat
The Huron-Wendat nations, with colonization, and the movement of nations to the South of Lake Ontario moving north, were pushed out of this area, and some ended up joining other nations within what would become Ontario. Their community in Canada, now sits, just north of what is now Quebec City. Please visit their website for some of the history and current community initiatives and structure. There were other Wyandot nations, which ended up settling in what is now Kansas, and Oklahoma, United States.
Métis
Pronounciation: May - Tee
The Métis Nation is comprised of descendants of people born from indigenous and settler relations. Beginning in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Métis communities emerged and developed across the Northwest within the Métis Nation Homeland, which refers to the three Prairie Provinces. Additionally, the Homeland has expanded to include parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. For more information on the region’s Métis community, please visit the Barrie Métis Council website.
Inuit
Pronounciation: ᐃ (ee) ᓄ (nu) ᐃᑦ (eet)
Most Inuit live in 53 communities spread across Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland encompassing 35 percent of Canada’s landmass and 50 percent of its coastline. For more information about Canadian Inuit, please visit the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami website.
Council Report LS-011-2021 – Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
Meeting date: September 13, 2021
From this report, Council directed staff to schedule an education session on the proposed Indigenous Land Acknowledgement Statement, to give further context on the Acknowledgment and provide Council the opportunity to give feedback prior to adoption.
Special Council Meeting Agenda - Indigenous Land Acknowledgement Education Session
Meeting date: November 25, 2021
Council heard from Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux, Chair for Truth and Reconciliation for Lakehead University who provided education on the History and Legacy of Residential Schools, UNDRIP, Treaties and Aboriginal Law, and Aboriginal Crown Relations.
Council also heard from Jennifer Summerfield (she/her), Elementary School Teacher SCDSBD who spoke about Indigenous Law & Restorative Justice.
Council Report LS-019-2021 - Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
Meeting Date: December 13, 2021
From this report Council endorsed the Indigenous Land Acknowledgement Statement for the Township of Clearview as presented.
Indigenous Canada
www.coursera.org/learn/indigenous-canada
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
https://nctr.ca
Four Directions Teachings
www.fourdirectionsteachings.com
Indigenous Atlas
indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca
Georgian Bay Native Friendship Centre
www.gbnfc.com
Barrie Native Friendship Centre
www.barrienfc.ca
