Traditional Land Acknowledgement in Woodstock

Wednesday, 11 November 2020 16:34

A traditional Territory Acknowledgement will be made before every event in the City of Woodstock from now on.

WOODSTOCK - A traditional Territory Acknowledgement will be made before every event in the City of Woodstock moving forward.

Woodstock Mayor Trevor Birtch says this is an act of reconciliation towards indigenous people.

"The City of Woodstock would like to recognize it's traditional heritage, the individuals that crossed this land before the settlers and before we became an active community, as well as recognizing those indigenous groups that are nearby and help us culturally."

The acknowledgement will take about a minute and it was researched by the Oxford Indigenous committee and the Director and Curator of the Museum Mary Reid. Birtch says they spent two years consulting with local first nations, museums and cultural authorities to come up with two acknowledgements for the traditional territory.

"One for specific use with the Art Gallery and another for other City functions. So in the future, your listeners will be able to take a moment and reflect on the peoples that were here before us and to reflect on the individuals and unique culture that surrounds us."

Traditional Territory Acknowledgment [for Woodstock Art Gallery]

Welcome to the Woodstock Art Gallery, situated on the traditional territories of the Indigenous Peoples and covered by the Upper Canada Treaties. We (I) would like to acknowledge the history of the traditional
territory on which the Woodstock Art Gallery stands. We (I) would also like to respect the longstanding relationships of the local Indigenous groups, the Haudenosaunee, Lanape, and Anishinaabek of this land and place in
Southwestern Ontario. We (I) would like to recognize the Indigenous communities in close proximity to the city of Woodstock: Chippewas of The Thames First Nation; Oneida Nation of The Thames; Munsee-Delaware
Nation; Mississaugas of New Credit First Nation; and Six Nations of The Grand (which consists of Mohawk, Cayuga, Seneca, Onondaga, Oneida and Tuscarora Nations).

Traditional Territory Acknowledgment [for the City of Woodstock]

Welcome to the City of Woodstock, situated on the traditional territories of the Indigenous Peoples and covered by the Upper Canada Treaties. We (1) would like to acknowledge the history of the traditional territory on
which the City of Woodstock stands. We (I) would also like to respect the longstanding relationships of the local Indigenous groups, the Haudenosaunee, Lanape, and Anishinaabek of this land and place in
Southwestern Ontario. We would like to recognize the Indigenous communities in close proximity to the city of Woodstock: Chippewas of The Thames First Nation; Oneida Nation of The Thames; Munsee-Delaware
Nation; Mississaugas of New Credit First Nation; and Six Nations of The Grand (which consists of Mohawk, Cayuga, Seneca, Onondaga, Oneida and Tuscarora Nations).