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Indigenous Education and Cultural Services (IECS) staff, in collaboration with the Indigenous Education Advisory Circle (IEAC) and the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, have developed a new land acknowledgment at Â鶹´«Ã½ University available on the . Faculty and staff can now add the updated land acknowledgment to their email signature through the .

The new land acknowledgment has been developed to more fully express respect for the traditional territory and the Indigenous people living on it, and provides a reflection on the importance of land acknowledgments within the wording itself. The opportunity to join in this reflection when giving and hearing the land acknowledgment makes it meaningful, especially for those who are new to this practice.

We all live, work, and visit various traditional territories and we encourage everyone to learn more about the traditional territories we engage with, including in the virtual world. The  includes additional information on best practices, as well as a guide to acknowledging the traditional territory. Acknowledging the traditional territory on which the university resides is one way to show recognition of and gratitude for the Indigenous communities who have looked after the land since time immemorial. It helps to create a welcoming environment for Indigenous students and their families. It is the first step in reconciliation, towards building new, respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Preparing to give the land acknowledgment and reflecting on its words provides an opportunity for learning, but many of us do not know where to start. IECS and the President's Reconciliation Task Force will jointly sponsor live online workshops on the new land acknowledgment in the near future. Watch for announcements in the Weekly Report and invitations from your team leaders.