Land Acknowledgement

I was born in Lethbridge, which the Niitsitapi call Sikóóhkotok, meaning Black Rocks, or Coal. It sits on the traditional Blackfoot territory under Treaty 7. I currently live in Edmonton, which the Cree call amiskwacîwâskahikan or Beaver Hills House, which sits on Treaty 6 territory and is a traditional meeting ground and home for many Indigenous peoples including Cree, Saulteaux, Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Métis, and Nakota Sioux Peoples. 

 

I’ve always known that I am Métis, and that my family has Métis and Northern Cree heritage, but I've always been hesitant to express it, because I didn't entirely know what it meant. I’ve been figuring it out more as I grow older, but what has helped the most was talking with a Blackfoot Elder, Raymond Many Bears. When he learned that I was Cree, at first we joked about the historic rivalry between the Cree and Blackfoot peoples. And then he asked me where I was born, and when I said “Lethbridge”, he laughed and said, “Oh, then you’re Blackfoot”. 

 

The land that we have lived on, regardless of what treaty it is on, has shaped more of our identities than we even know. We are part of it, and it is part of us. This land has always done its part to take care of us regardless of who we are or how we treat it, to make sure that we can continue to live and grow, and we are not doing enough to return the favour. Our government’s current climate action plan is grossly insufficient, based on harmful colonial ideals, and disproportionately affects Indigenous communities. We cannot view this land as something that we own, something to sell, or something to profit off of,  but rather as something that we all have a responsibility to restore and take care of. Saying that we acknowledge the land is not enough. Saying that Indigenous voices should be included means nothing without actual follow-through and action. Truth and Reconciliation needs action. None of us, including myself, are taking enough action. Call on your representatives. Think critically about legislation and politics, even if they seem like they don’t directly affect you. Vote, and know what you are voting for. Theatre allows us to imagine and portray the potential that human beings have for change in the world, and I strongly encourage anyone who believes in the power of theatre to utilize that power for change. Thank you.