Donna DesBiens

Hi Susan and all,

In your acknowledgement, I really like the way you integrated your learning process in your self-location and plan to model this in my own future statements. I also appreciate how you both open and close with acknowledgement and gratitude to the local First Nation.  It's a nice, simple way to keep the focus on the actual acknowledgement rather than digressing too much into one's own roots, which is something I worry about because I have the reverse issue of knowing a wealth of details about my ancestral connections. 

In response to Nancy's question about learning to pronounce local First Nation and place names, one resource I've been using is A Guide to Pronunciation of BC First Nations (print text) and today I found this First Voices media-rich website, which includes the Straits Salish language of Sencoten, along with many others across Canada and bordering States.            

Hi Sybil and all,

I too appreciate the dialogue on language and context in this thread. 

Like Tim, I've given a lot of thought to the use of the word settler. Personally, I'm comfortable with using it in my own acknowledgement because it was regularly used in both school and day to day conversations in my own cultural context, e.g. learning about early settlers in the 'new world' in social studies classes or hearing stories of where family ancestors settled over time.  However, I've also heard reluctance from non-Indigenous colleagues to give a self-location statement if it requires this word either because they just don't relate to the term or they feel it implies they don't/can't belong to places and a country they are deeply attached to. 

For me, this opens up space for generative conversations about how we perceive our cultural identities and how different cultural groups experience belonging (or not) to the same places or country.  For example, in intercultural learning circles, it's well-recognized that people from dominant cultures or groups are often unaware of their own cultural values and privileges, because it just seems to be what is. So reflecting on our own culture(s) from other perspectives can be a transformative learning experience. And maybe feeling some discomfort or tension is a good thing to spark greater awareness and questions about the status quo. 

I also believe people need to 'start from where they are' and be accorded time and space so they can evolve authentic acknowledgements rather than feeling resentment or coercion to use certain terms or rote statements to be politically correct.           

Hi Jennifer, 

One thing I really appreciate in your acknowledgement is your inclusion of the Dakota place name for the Minnesota region and what it means.  It gave me a sense of immediate experience - sparked visual images, feeling of beauty, and intuitions of how people might live in that place. Versus only geographical location on a map.

It really brings to life the concept of how knowing traditional place names is "important to building relationships with the places where we live and teach" (Promising practice section, Step 1 Learning Materials).  You inspired me to learn more about the meaning of local place names here in Victoria and reflect on how I can integrate them in my own land acknowledgement. 

While exploring local First Nation websites, I found that place names most near where I live and work reflect the importance of relationship with the ocean. In a bigger perspective, I also found this Coming Home to Indigenous Place Names map by the Canadian-American Center at the University of Maine - great to see another neighbourly learning collaboration there :-) 

I also appreciate how you have been able to capture so much meaning in such a brief statement as we are so often constrained by time in contexts like workshop openings. 

Hi Jennifer,

Many of us at Royal Roads add this statement as the final line in our email signature:  Traditional lands of the Xwsepsum (Esquimalt) and Lkwungen (Songhees) families.  For me, it's an act of recognition that I hope will also raise awareness among my email recipients, most of whom are also involved in higher education in various roles.  I've also noticed similar statements at the close of our BCcampus colleagues' emails. 

Hi Timothy, 

I think this is a great idea - what a good way to invite conversations about this important step on the reconciliation and relationship building learning path. 

I wonder if having a little list of recommended resources to hand might also be helpful to share with people who come in for conversations.  I'm guessing you probably are there to provide services to students as well as faculty?   I also wonder if other people in your department might want to post their own acknowledgements - or would a gallery or bulletin board share be too much?