Ultimate Guide to Land Acknowledgement That is Meaningful and Powerful

How to create a land acknowledgement that doesn’t sound like you are reading from a script or coming from meaningless place.

If you have to say a land acknowledgment soon at an upcoming event or to prepare on for your organization, then this post will be very valuable to you. In this post we are going to challenge you, push you, and help guide you crafting a Land Acknowledgement that is actually meaningful and powerful.

Look if you are just trying to find a way to spruce up the current script you have, you came to the wrong place buddy. This is for someone who is ready to do some digging, learn some truth, and have some sort of action plan after reading this.

The land acknowledgement is not some thing you just read to read. A land acknowledgement is an invitation for you to learn about the history of Indigenous people, the land, and the privileges given from Indigenous sacrificing an entire way of life.

So we are going to cover the # things you need to know while crafting a more unique, powerful, and meaningful land acknowledgement.

#1 – Don’t Hire Indigenous to Say the Land Acknowledgement

Our people know our history and what we gave up in order for everyone else to live good life. It’s up to the host of the event or highest ranking person in your organization to acknowledge the land that was stolen and used so that they can benefit the way they are now.

See I told you it’s going to get tough. Land acknowledgement should be a time to bring out the good history books, Youtube videos, blog posts, newspaper clippings, and learn all you can about the land you occupy and how it was acquired. Also look in the history of the people that were there before your country even became a country, or state, or province.

Start to learn and no be so ignorant to Indigenous peoples ways or thinking. This should all come from the leadership in your organization. Acknowledging that the land they are on is Indigenous and we owe them the world for sharing the land with us so we can prosper.

Don’t hire the Indigenous to say this.

#2 – Learn The History of Your Area and Indigenous Peoples

Your area is unique in the way it was used and also by the people who used it. Not all Indigenous people are the same. We all have our own unique ways of thinking, of doing, of speaking, of a whole lot of things. So don’t classify Indigenous as all the same. We are not, but we do have similarities in a lot things as well.

It’s important to know who were the Indigenous people in your area. Learn what Treaty they signed and what was promised. Know that there is a colonial view of what happened during Treaty signing and an Indigenous view point as well.

Learn them both.

For many if not all Indigenous people, you will see that we had everything we ever needed before Treaty. We had land access, abundance in Bison, elk, moose, fish, and more. We had our families together, healthy tipis, healthy people, happy people.

Then one day it was gone. We signed Treaties, Indian Act comes in, Residential Schools, Boarding Schools, 60s Scoop, Millenial Scoop, and our people got beat up with trauma and generational trauma.

Well during that whole time white people were taught in schools how much more superior they were to Indigenous peoples. Which caused racism, stereotypes, superiority complex, saviour complex’s and more.

This made room for everyone else to come in with full support of the government to prosper and succeed while Indigenous people suffered.

You want to know as much stories that you can. Do your research and really learn about the history of Indigenous people in your area.

#3 Learn About the Treaty – Land Acknowledgement

We are all Treaty people.

The way your country was created was through Treaty. Two sovereign nations coming together to agree upon terms in exchange for goods.

What were those promises? What was promised to the Indigenous people in order to access and acquire the land? These are things you should know before you are ready to say a land acknowledgement.

You are part of this Treaty. If you are not Indigenous, then you represent the other party in this Treaty.

You want to know about the Treaty area you are in. It’s going to help with closing out the land acknowledgement that you are going to say.

Just like honouring the women from the Treaty 6 territory. Why? Well when Treaty 6 was being negotiated, the women from Treaty 6 brought up the medicine chest. Which is pretty much free health care.

The white people in the Treaty making didn’t want just these Indigenous people to have free health care so they made it like that for the Whole country of Canada. We have to thank the Treaty 6 women for bringing free healthcare in Canada because they wanted the medicine chest.

#4 Learn About The National Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action

Now that you know about the Indigenous people in your area, and know about the Treaty in your area, it’s time to learn about the calls to action.

The calls to action are certain actions that Indigenous people and leadership came up with that would make our relationship with Canada better. These calls to action can possibly be just as powerful in America as well.

If you are looking at what could you do as a person, or organization, or event, or business, then knowing the 94 calls to action is what you need to learn. I think all Canadians should know about the 94 calls to action.

Look at what calls to action are related to what you do. You will have two unique actions plans. One set coming from the 94 calls to action, and another set coming from the Treaties.

This is where we don’t have to rely on the government to save us and start working, what can we do right now as an event, company, organization….whatever you are, what actions can you take right now.

An example would be a resource company like an oil company to actually split 50/50 with Indigenous people in profits. That’s part of the Treaty and the government isn’t honouring this but a company can.

#5 – What are Your Privilege’s and What did you gain?

To make this land acknowledgement more personal is to understand what privileges do you enjoy currently?

By now you should know a good history about the injustices and broken promises to Indigenous people. You should know that immediately harm was done to eradicate the Indigenous people. To absorb them into the body politic.

That to there was a cultural genocide attempted at the Indigenous people that created much harm and trauma.

Only to make room for settlers to come in and prosper, while setting laws against Indigenous people prospering themselves. That created generational wealth and affluence to the colonizers.

While Indigenous people inherited suffering and trauma.

To make room for the building you work in now. The people that are hired there. The people who prosper in your business. For you to host your event and enjoy all the privileges you have right now.

This is your gain from the land you are on now.

Know what that is.

#6 – What Actions Are You Committed to Following Through On for your Land Acknowledgement

Okay this means absolutely nothing right now unless you are committed to take action. To be able to not repeat the pass and do something about the future. If you are the person who is going to say the land acknowledgement, then you probably are in a position of either power or influence. Or both.

That means you have the ability to help make change. To be committed to a better future based on doing the 94 calls to action and promises of the Treaties.

What can you do as a company. What are you committed to doing.

This is something that you are going to have to explore. There’s something you can do and should do. Brainstorm that with your team. Maybe joining a Truth and Reconciliation club that teaches you knowledge and makes change in community together.

The investment has to be in your learning and aligning yourself with the calls to action and Treaty obligations.

Be prepared to say this publicly within your land acknowledgement. This is the way you acknowledge the land. To show what your company is all about, that they know about the Indigenous people here and that came before, the promises that were made, the actions that were called, the privileges that you’ve gotten because of this, the pain Indigenous people went through so you can have those privileges, and the actions you are now committed to moving forward.

#7 Crafting This Altogether to creating a Powerful and Meaningful Land Acknowledgement

Now that you took the actions above, you are now in a more powerful position to creating a more meaningful land acknowledgement then ever before.

Now you want to take this new knowledge and put it together in a land acknowledgement that you can say to represent yourself and your organization.

To talk about what you know about the land, what did you find out about the people who lived there before you, who accessed and cared for the land. What where they like? What were their stories. What language did they speak? Talk about it.

Now get to what was promised to them. What Treaty land are you on and what were those agreements? Are they being upheld right now? What is progress? Acknowledge this and what was given up in order for settlers to come in and colonize.

How did you benefit from this?

Share the gratitude you have for the privileges gained from Indigenous people.

To finish off, talk about the commitments you are committed to doing. Maybe it’s joining a TRC Club that takes action and makes changes in the community.

Maybe it’s doing and supporting some of the calls to actions recommended from the TRC 94 Calls to action.

Don’t just talk. Have a plan for doing. Have a plan of action. A few things. This is why we learned about the Treaties and Calls to Action. To know exactly what needs to be done.

Be ready to implement change.

#8 – Get a Helping Hand in this Journey to a Meaningful Land Acknowledgement

Look we gave you the steps to make it more then just a regular land acknowledgement that sounds scripted. This is about taking a journey. A journey you don’t need to take alone.

That’s why we created a guided land acknowledgement course for you. Here we walk you through the steps together and give you ideas and guidance through it all.

We give you a fill in the blank template where you add your personal thoughts and findings in the template that helps you create a meaningful and powerful land acknowledgement.

We give you a printable workbook as well to follow along and answer certain questions to make it clear and concise.

Then we take you by the hand and help you craft it all together where it flows and is personal to you and your company.

To get started on this process. – Click here to Join Our Land Acknowledgment Mastery Course