We acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Anishnaabe, and the Haudenosaunee, the First Peoples of the Williams Treaties First Nations and other Indigenous Peoples.
We honour the Dish With One Spoon wampum agreement that welcomes all Indigenous Nations and peoples, Europeans and all newcomers to uphold it. We understand that the “Dish” refers to what is now southern Ontario (from the Great Lakes to Quebec and from Lake Simcoe into the U.S.), and that “One Spoon” refers to the idea that all in the territory take sustenance from the dish with a single shared spoon. We share the responsibility of ensuring the dish is never empty, which includes, taking care of the land, waters, and all life that is here. It is also important that the single spoon is a shared tool that is used to nourish and cannot be weaponized.
We acknowledge that many people from these and other Indigenous nations still live and meet on these same lands, many of whom are still impacted by oppressive colonial racism. We committed to decolonializing ourselves and our communities of impact, and are grateful to have the opportunity to be here, to learn, to create, and to seek ways of joining together in the spirit of reconciliation, peace, friendship and respect.