There is no greater thing we as peoples can do for our Mother Earth and for our children of the future than to preserve our rich heritage and relationship with this land.
Robert Whiteduck, Chief of Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, 1998
As the great-granddaughter of farmers who settled in the Lac La Biche, Alberta region, and being of European ancestry (French-Ukrainian), I acknowledge my privilege of having greatly benefited from living on Turtle Island.
I have an important responsibility to respectfully acknowledge that my base camp is located in ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Amiskwacîwâskahikan / Edmonton) on Indigenous land in Treaty 6 territory. The homelands of the Métis Nation and the traditional meeting ground of the Anishinaabe (Saulteaux), Denesuliné (Dene), Inuit, Métis, Nakota Sioux (Stoney), nêhiyawak (Cree), and Niitsitapi (Blackfoot).
As a visitor on the land where I currently have the privilege to live, work and explore. I am grateful for the original keepers and stewards of the land, the elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us, and the history and intimate relationship Indigenous peoples share with this land. I recognize the impacts of colonialism and the removal of Indigenous peoples from their homes and history.
Today, the meeting ground and territories are still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island. I am dedicated to ensuring that the spirit of Treaty 6 is honored and respected, that I will care for, provide gratitude for, and learn more about the territories I reside on, or are visiting.
– Tracey