LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Through this land acknowledgement I hope to convey what it means to me to live here on traditional, ancestral, unceded lands in BC.

BC is unique in its relationships with First Nations and Indigenous peoples. There are 198 First Nations in BC, out of a total of 630 in all of Canada. Ninety-five per cent of BC’s land is on unceded First Nation territories, which means that First Nations people never agreed to give up nor sign away their lands to the Crown or to Canada.

I acknowledge with respect the generous spirit of the land and the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-waututh on whose traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories I live. I continue to remember that it takes so much more than an acknowledgment to bring about change. It takes clarity, humility, and courage to recognize my own role in ongoing systems of colonization, especially when it is difficult to do so. Part of the intention of this practice is to ease the way to making true reconciliation and decolonization happen by connecting us to each other in our essential humanness and to all our relations on our planet through our caring.

My parents and grandparents were refugees and settlers from Europe. My parents and grandmother taught me to be aware of cultural and social issues, to educate myself, and contribute in good ways. I continue to learn about the crimes and genocide against First Peoples in Turtle Island (aka North America) and the tremendous gifts and strengths you bring to our world. I have experience working with Indigenous/Métis people and am grateful to help healing happen as a counsellor, coach, and family constellations facilitator. We all deserve dignity, respect, and kindness.