Land Acknowledgement: My Privilege as a Settler

2 min

An important first task for the Queer of Colour platform is to acknowledge the land upon which I live and work. Land acknowledgements began appearing at the beginning of events and gatherings in Canada a few years ago. They were inspired by the 94 calls to action that resulted from Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, released in 2015. 

The reading sounds perfunctory, a necessary check-the-box exercise.

Usually read from a piece of paper by the host of an event, the land acknowledgement recognizes the original inhabitants of the region, the fact that Indigenous peoples continue to live in the area, and oftentimes, it will refer to the Dish With One Spoon Treaty. More often than not, the reading sounds perfunctory, a necessary check-the-box exercise that has little meaning to the person reciting the script or the people listening to it. 

In developing Queer of Colour, I wanted to understand what I was doing when acknowledging this land, its inhabitants and caretakers, and how it became settled by foreigners. The result is the Land Acknowledgement page that attempts to provide a brief history of Southern Ontario, specifically the Greater Toronto Area, in relation to Indigenous peoples and European settlers. 

It is a recognition of how I contribute to the continued oppression of Indigenous people and how I benefit from this oppression.

The page is arguably less important for visitors to Queer of Colour than it is to me. The time I spent researching and learning about the land and its people is a small contribution to the reconciliation process. It is a recognition of how I contribute to the continued oppression of Indigenous people and how I benefit from this oppression. It is work that I believe everyone who lives on Turtle Island should do to understand their place in history and within this geography. 

I would encourage you to do this work. You can start with the Queer of Colour Land Acknowledgement page, but do not stop there. Expand your understanding with your own research and learning. Recognize your place on this land. 

Feature Photo by Eileen Liu.