A LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A Personalized Land Acknowledgement

Recently, I have been contemplating land acknowledgements and what they personally mean to me.  I was introduced to land acknowledgements in Adelaide, Australia, while completing a Masters in Narrative Therapy and Community Work at The Dulwich Centre https://dulwichcentre.com.au . Prior to this experience in Australia, I had not been privy to community recognition of the territory in which I live.   The Australian aboriginal people in the Masters of Narrative Therapy class taught me a great deal about colonialism and its effects on their lives.

Moving to Victoria in 2020 brought me closer to my childhood roots and to thoughts about this territory and the people who inhabited this space prior to white settlement.  I often wish that I could time travel and view this area before Europeans arrived to fully understand the richness of the land and sea and how the indigenous people interacted with it.  I imagine the incredible quantity of salmon,  vegetation and wildlife, as well as the diversity of the forests, rivers, lakes and ocean.   I reflect on bearing witness to the language and beliefs that permeated through the rawness of the landscape, and the stories orally told and held in time and space.

Seeking knowledge and understanding is the beginning of reconciliation.  The desire to learn more and recognize that I know so little about the experience of the native peoples of Canada.  Seeking wisdom by honouring the real life struggles that persist for indigenous communities is vital to holding a compassionate heart towards them.  This is my commitment to change.

Land Acknowledgement

I acknowledge this land in which I live, breathe, sleep, walk, bicycle, garden, receive nourishment, restore my mind and practice my profession, with a full awareness of the indigenous people who have called this home long before the arrival of my European ancestors.   I will not forget my privilege.

I humbly acknowledge that this land on the southern tip of Vancouver Island is the unceded territory of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples known as the Esquimalt, Songhees and W̱’sanec, whose historical relationship with the land continue to this day.   I will acknowledge.

The Esquimalt, Songhees and W’sanec peoples cared for and protected this region and all the living creatures within it.  Their endearing diligence has enabled me to reap the benefits of the incredible beauty of this landscape.   I am thankful.

I envision all of the ways the Salish Sea people honoured their territory, resources and wildlife.  I am grateful for their stewardship and conservancy.   I stand in awe of their commitment to taking only what was needed from the abundance of the land and sea, recognizing that this wisdom has great value today and forever.   I am grateful.

I humbly profess my privilege for being a white settler living on unceded territory and am committed to the work of reconciliation.  I understand that the indigenous communities suffered and continue to suffer greatly under colonial rule, so I will advocate for truth and honesty by sharing my knowledge of their history with others.   When I pass  First Nations’ burial grounds, I will take a breath and remember the deaths of those that many would rather forget.  I will remember.

I will not forget nor take for granted the extensive sacrifices that have been made by the indigenous populations so that Canadians can call this vast and beautiful territory   their home.  I acknowledge the wisdom and fortitude of the Salish Sea community of people and will make every effort to learn from their knowledge as I live and breathe on their land.

I will remember.  I will acknowledge.  I will not forget.

Karen Mittet,

Narrative Therapist

February 2023