"Land acknowledgements have become more common over the last several years and have at times been criticized for being a surface-level engagement with reconciliatory processes. There has been an increased interest in how to make land acknowledgements more meaningful so that they go beyond being a checklist item.
A land acknowledgement may be seen as an educational opportunity, for the writer as well as for their audience. It can be a process of reflection as one considers their own relationship to the land and to the shared histories between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples" (with permission from Okanagan College Library''s Land Acknowledgements guide.)
“By properly researching and delivering land acknowledgments, individuals and organizations recognize the ongoing oppression and struggles facing Indigenous peoples and communities... Land acknowledgements are intended to provoke further thought and reflection on improving relations with Indigenous peoples. They are an important tool for... recognizing the reality of Canada’s colonial history and how it continues to marginalize and oppress Indigenous history, culture, and peoples" (Kairos).