The Township of Wellington North has its first land acknowledgment, aiming to strengthen their relationship with Indigenous peoples.
CAO Brooke Lambert introduced Martin Cooper, Senior Archaeologist of Archaeological Services Inc, to officially present the acknowledgment to council.
Lambert says she believes it’s very appropriate this comes to council during National Indigenous History Month.
Cooper reminded council the land acknowledgment involves recognizing what has happened and what is happening now.
Councillor Lisa Hern thanked Cooper for his efforts and said looking back on Indigenous history is vital.
Cooper encourages the township to review the document down the line, as he reminds people this type of language should not be static, but fluid and open to revision.
Next steps, Cooper believes, will involve the township reaching out to the Indigenous community and meeting with the vision of establishing a relationship.
He says his feeling is that planning initiatives will be key, with a focus on the environment.
The land statement read as follows:
“The lands that we know today as the Township of Wellington North have
been home to Indigenous peoples since time immemorial. We acknowledge
that we are on the treaty lands and traditional territory of the Anishinaabe
and Haudenosaunee.
With increasing encroachment by non-Indigenous settlers in the Township
of Wellington North, the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee could not
continue their traditional lifestyle and settled in their villages on the Credit
River, Lake Huron, Lake Simcoe, and in the Grand River Valley. These
nations uphold their Treaty Rights within our jurisdiction.Today, the Township of Wellington North remains home to Indigenous
peoples from across Turtle Island. We are grateful to have the opportunity
to share and respect Mother Earth and are committed to building
constructive and cooperative relationships with Indigenous nations.”
