"A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes the unique and enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. A land acknowledgment is not something you “just do” before an event. Rather it is a reflection process in which you build mindfulness and intention walking into whatever gathering you are having. It should be rooted in whose land you are honoured to stand" (David Kirk, Moving Beyond Land Acknowledgements CapU CFA presentation).
"Why is it good protocol to thank the host nation? Because you are acknowledging that that Nation has had a relationship since time immemorial with the land you are on. It is a sign of respect and recognition" (Bob Joseph, ICTI).
Nahanne Creative's decolonial facilitator, Ta7talíya (Michelle Nahanee), shares that, "territorial acknowledgements are about showing respect, or connecting to the land, to be in better relations together" (Odetter Aiuger, APTN News). "It is a way to respect the Ancestors who cared for the land that is now caring for you... A territorial acknowledgement uses the name of the Nation who cares for the land, not the colonial name of the place" (Nahanee).
"If we think of territorial acknowledgments as sites of potential disruption, they can be transformative acts that to some extent undo Indigenous erasure. I believe this is true as long as these acknowledgments discomfit both those speaking and hearing the words. The fact of Indigenous presence should force non-Indigenous peoples to confront their own place on these lands" (Chelsea Vowel, Âpihtawikosisân).