The Township of Wellington North voted in favour of a land acknowledgment at Monday's council meeting.
Martin Cooper, Senior Archaeologist of Archaeological Services Inc., said the move is "a good starting point" in strengthening relationships with Indigenous peoples.
Cooper, who came before council to present the acknowledgment document, told councillors a land acknowledgment focuses not only on the present and the future, but also days gone by.
The new land acknowledgement 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.”
"I do think that this is so extremely important because we have to remember where we came from to envision where we're going," Hern stated.
Cooper says this language should be fluid and open to edits down the line. He encourages the township to welcome and embrace these edits.
Next steps, Cooper believes, will include the township developing a better relationship by reaching out and meeting with Indigenous peoples. He says he thinks there will be a focus on the environment brought to the forefront.
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