How important is the acknowledgement of land? Reconciliation includes acknowledgement of the traditional territories where Kingston is situated. Since time immemorial, the area now known as Kingston has maintained a rich history of Indigenous activity and settlement by the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples.
There are several ways that this acknowledgement can be made. Before giving presentations or workshops in Kingston, you can say “I recognize and acknowledge that we are on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples.” Some organizations and institutions have also started integrating this recognition and acknowledgement of territory into their email signatures and other correspondence. For example, several departments at Queen’s University are now adding “Queen’s University is situated on the traditional Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Territories” to their email signatures.
