Michael's Land Acknowledgement

Michael's Land Acknowledgement

by Michael Guy -
Number of replies: 6

Hello, everyone,

I was born in Midland, Ontario, the territory of the Anishinaabek people, and home to the many people of Metis Nation Ontario. My mother and father are from Cork and Omeath, Ireland. We were short term visitors returning to Ireland when I was one years old. I have since returned as a long term visitor settling in Oshawa, on the lands of the people of Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. I find that acknowledging these lands is very important and resonates with me as my own land has been and still is in territorial dispute. I would like to thank all the traditional nations for allowing me to settle and grow a family on your lands.



In reply to Michael Guy

Re: Michael's Land Acknowledgement

by Sarah Lefebure -

Hi Michael,

Thank you for sharing your acknowledgment with us. I really appreciate the sense of family history that you provide in such a short text, and how you situate your sense of land and identity by naming the resonances with you because of Ireland's history. 

Sarah

In reply to Sarah Lefebure

Re: Michael's Land Acknowledgement

by Michael Guy -

Thank you Sarah,

I am very new to learning about Indigenous people but I am so glad that I am now.

In reply to Michael Guy

Re: Michael's Land Acknowledgement

by Viviana Chiorean -

Hi Michael,

Thank you for sharing your acknowledgement of the traditional lands as well as your family's background - I looked up the location of Cork. I have a nephew in Ireland (Dublin) but have never been. I would like to visit one day.  

Viviana 

In reply to Viviana Chiorean

Re: Michael's Land Acknowledgement

by Michael Guy -

Thank you Viviana,

I  hope you do go to Ireland. You will find Dublin to be a vibrant and exciting city with easy access to the rest of Ireland. 

In reply to Michael Guy

Re: Michael's Land Acknowledgement

by Michael Guy -

I would like to add, and it pains me, that Irish people are also guilty of the mistreatment of Indigenous people, and I am sorry for that!

In reply to Michael Guy

Re: Michael's Land Acknowledgement

by Donna DesBiens -

Hi Michael,

Thanks for sharing your draft land acknowledgement of the Indigenous territories of where you were born and work now in Ontario and your gratitude for being accepted as a long-term visitor there.

I also really appreciate the learning and authentic feeling I see shining through in your acknowledgement that your (our) own ancestors are also complicit in the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples - despite also having suffered oppression in their homelands.  It might be an idea to include something about that in future versions of your acknowledgement. 

I also think it's good to keep a sense of shared value for social justice alive as this supports a perspective that we're on a reconciliation learning journey together. And in the land acknowledgement, I think a good way to demonstrate our own accountability to this value is to open with a clear recognition of the Indigenous lands where you are and then follow with the cultural self-location.