Land Acknowledgement
What is a Land Acknowledgement?
A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes the relationship that exists between First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Peoples, and their traditional territories. Medicine Hat Public School’s Land Acknowledgement also recognizes non-First Nations Peoples as part of the reconciliatory work.
Acknowledging land can be performed at any important function such as a school assembly, awards night, graduation, or celebrations. Acknowledging the land is usually the first item on the agenda, and is included in the opening remarks.
Why do we recognize the land?
Recognizing the land demonstrates gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory we reside upon, as well as honours the Indigenous people who have a long-standing relationship with the land. The Land Acknowledgement recognizes the historical events that has brought us to reside on Treaty 7 Territory.
Our Land Acknowledgement
Medicine Hat Public School Division would like to acknowledge that the land we are on today is in the traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy. The people of this Treaty 7 region, signed at Blackfoot Crossing in 1877, consist of three First Nations:
- Kainai [gai-nah] or Blood
- Piikani [pee-kah-nee] or Peigan
- Siksika [seeg-see-kah] or Blackfoot.
Treaty 7 region of southern Alberta also includes:
- The Tsuu T’ina [soo-ten-ah] or Sarcee
- Stoney Nakoda [nah-koh-dah] First Nations
We would like to acknowledge and honour that we are also on the homeland of the Metis people. We would also like to acknowledge the traditional knowledge holders and elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us.
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