“We wish to respectfully acknowledge that we all live and work on unceded and unsurrendered traditional lands that have been inhabited by First Nations Communities since time immemorial, and whose presence here continues to this day.
We also wish to acknowledge that the lands we are standing on are part of the traditional unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq, Wo-las-to-qiyik, Pas-sa-ma-quod-dy Nations.
The territories are covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which the Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy peoples first signed with the British Crown in 1726. The treaties did not deal with the surrender of land and resources, but established the rules for an ongoing relationship with mutual respect and peace between the Nations.
In this acknowledgment, we also pay respect and recognize all diverse Indigenous peoples from all nations across Canada, who call this land their home. We are all treaty people. Many of us have come here as settlers, immigrants, and newcomers in this generation or generations past.”