Diversity
Taking the ‘person’ out of
‘personalized’ land acknowledgements
Melissa Bird
Former Executive Staff Officer, Indigenous Education, ATA
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS have become increasingly present in our daily lives. These statements, which recognize Indigenous Lands, Peoples and Languages, and commitments to our relations, are often intended as gestures of respect and commitment to reconcilia- tion. Land acknowledgements recognize numbered Treaties within Alberta, Métis Territories and Districts of the Otipemisi- wak Métis Government and Nations, and communities from the places and spaces where they are shared. As these acknowledgements become more common, many individuals and or- ganizations have taken up the call to make them more meaningful and authentic. A common response has been to personalize them—injecting personal reflections or stories to avoid performative repetition. While this may be well-intentioned, it can inadvertently center settler identities and perpetuate colonial narratives. Personalized land acknowledgements may risk recentering non-Indigenous voices rather than focusing on commit- ments rooted in relational responsibility.
“right” or “perfect” version, something that can be read aloud with confidence. But this focus on crafting a polished product can interfere with the deeper, ongoing process of building relationships with the Indigenous Lands, Languages and Peoples being acknowledged. QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND PRACTICE • How can we ensure that land acknow- ledgements move beyond words into meaningful, ongoing action? • What does it mean to shift from a personalized approach to a relational approach? • What responsibilities do we carry because we live, work and learn on this Land? • What specific actions can accompany land acknowledgments to uphold Treaty relations and relational responsibilities? Land acknowledgements should be living practices, ever evolving alongside our
RETHINKING PERSONALIZATION Instead of personalizing land acknow- ledgements, what if we approached them as opportunities for relational renewal ? This means grounding acknowledge- ments not in personal experience(s), but in shared responsibilities we hold in relation to Indigenous Lands, Peoples and Languages, including stories, traditions and knowledges. Land acknowledgements, when grounded in responsibility, reciprocity and respect, move beyond symbolic gestures and become part of the ongoing work of unlearning colonial logics within education (and beyond). Elder Dr. Vincent Stogan (Tsimilano) reminds us that these practices can be gratitude-grounding experiences—oppor- tunities to “reach back and learn from those that have gone before us and then reach forward to pass on the teachings to those that are coming after us.” PROCESS OVER PRODUCT One of the challenges with land acknow- ledgements is the tendency to seek a
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THE ALBERTA TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
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