I had in mind to post about land acknowledgment for many months. It is an essential step to reconciliation and new learning for me over the past years. When joining Royal Roads in 2018, I learned about land acknowledgment and traditional welcome. I had never heard of it before, or perhaps I should say, I never paid attention. It makes me think: how many essential elements are we not paying attention to now? The importance of the air we breathe or the source of the water we drink every day might be some of them.

Reflecting on the fact that “reconciliation invites participants to reflect on the past, and importantly, identify ways to specifically address previous wrongs done to Indigenous People” (Finegan, 2018, p.1), giving a land acknowledgment when I work, play, and learn on traditional lands seems a necessity. I want to do it in a respectful and meaningful way. I want to talk from the heart when I connect with the land, not from a text I need to learn. To begin with, I guess I need to understand the territory and history here. In doing so, I can relate to the land and give it the respect it deserves. Then I have to learn about the people. The Esquimalt and Songhees nations – who were they? What were their values and ways of living? I feel privileged knowing they took such good care of the planet that I can enjoy it today. Am I too late in my process to be able to do the same with other generations? Part of the answer might be to integrate Indigenous concepts that “resonate with my spirit, heart, and soul and find a place to implement them in my community” (Kenny, 2012)

Looping back to my Leadership Development Plan, how can I be an ally? I can’t be silent anymore. I want to develop the skill of speaking up with and for minorities when needed. To do so, I need to know myself, and I need to know the past. Same thing for the current agriculture that destroys the planet and does not feed everyone equally, or the waste created by our over-consuming actions; I cannot stay in the status quo and need (want) to educate others to build something better.

Greta Thunberg suggests that poverty, social justice, and many other causes could advance if citizens paid more attention to climate change (Thunberg et al., 2020). “All things are connected,” as Indigenous spiritual belief systems would say (Kenny, 2012). Climate change is the big picture that we need to work on right now in order to re-create peace for all the people who suffer. If I could be a small part of the solution, I feel more capable of acknowledging that land that I join you from today without lying to myself.

Sky and Land

Photo by Jason Murphy on Unsplash

Finegan, C. (2018). Reflection, Acknowledgement, and Justice: A Framework for Indigenous-Protected Area Reconciliation. The International Indigenous Policy Journal, 9(3) .DOI: 10.18584/iipj.2018.9.3.3

Kenny, C. (2012). Living Indigenous leadership: Native narratives on building strong communities (pp. 1–17). UBC Press. https://www.ubcpress.ca/living-indigenous-leadership

Thunberg, G., Thunberg, S., Ernman, M., Ernman, B., Norlén, P. R., & Vogel, S. (2020). Our house is on fire: scenes of a family and a planet in crisis. First Large Print Edition. [New York]: Random House Large Print.