This Unceded Land
Mackay Creek Trail. Photo: Tanya Clarke 2018
The land on which I live is the unceded, shared land of the Coast Salish Peoples including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
It’s taken some time for me to work out how to get this right.
For a year or so, I had a land acknowledgement statement in the footer of A Picture, A Story. This seemed the right thing to do. When I updated my website, a few months ago, I wrangled over whether to keep it there. Somehow, the words seemed ineffectual. I began to think there must be a better way.
Land acknowledgements have long been practised by Indigenous Peoples. Some are saying when practised by non-indigenous people, they can seem “hollow, performative and ultimately, problematic”.
What to do.
I believe in learning things beyond your own life experience, and that education creates compassion and respect for those that have lived a different life.
As a white British immigrant now living in Canada, there is still a lot to learn about where my place of privilege comes from and what this means to us as a family, for myself and my husband as we raise two daughters here.
So. Here’s where I’m at. I’ve done a lot of research and list much of it here. Please do take the time to click the links and find out more about the land on which you live, the people that lived here before you and share the land with you now.
Let’s make a commitment together to learn about the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, and to listen to them with an open heart. Then we can support the action that needs to happen for reconciliation, for reparation.
I live in British Columbia so there is a greater emphasis on learning about the Coast Salish Peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Wherever you are in Canada, your learning will be a little different.
If you have any further recommendations please do add them in the comments below.
Let's Start Here
What is Unceded Land?
To 'cede' something is to agree to hand over possession of, in this case, land, to someone else. Did you know 95% of British Columbia is unceded land? What does this mean for the settler community and the Indigenous Peoples in BC?
Rob Chipman over on conservationtruths.org has a great blog post, clear and simple. It's the best explanation I've found on what unceded territory means and the impact of terra nullius – the legal Latin term for “nobody’s land”.
“If we all understand and agree that land ownership must be transferred properly, and if we all assume that land titles that come from the Crown are valid, how did we get into a situation where Crown title is something less than perfect? How can it be that the Crown could possibly be granting individuals ownership of land that the Crown does not actually have title to?”
Go read it. You will learn something.
Who are the Coast Salish Peoples?
The Coast Salish Peoples comprise several First Nations that live along the Pacific Northwest Coast stretching from Oregon in the US up to Vancouver and Vancouver Island. These nations have different languages & dialects, customs and traditional rituals but they all share a common ethnicity and cultural identity. Here are five websites with a wealth of information so you can find out more.
First Nations - Land Rights and Environmentalism in British Columbia
Whose Land Do You Live On?
In North Vancouver, where I live, the First Nations Peoples that live here are the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish Nation) , xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam Nation) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation).
If you’re not sure whose land you live on, visit Native Land, an Indigenous-led website with the aim of helping map Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages. There is a map where you can find the territories you live on.
“Native Land Digital strives to create and foster conversations about the history of colonialism, Indigenous ways of knowing, and settler-Indigenous relations, through educational resources such as our map and Territory Acknowledgement Guide.
We strive to go beyond old ways of talking about Indigenous people and to develop a platform where Indigenous communities can represent themselves and their histories on their own terms. In doing so, Native Land Digital creates spaces where non-Indigenous people can be invited and challenged to learn more about the lands they inhabit, the history of those lands, and how to actively be part of a better future going forward together.”
Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish Nation)
“The Squamish Nation, as a government, has existed since 1923. In our language, we are called Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw. Prior to 1923, the Squamish People were socially, economically, and politically organized into several physical communities called an úxwumixw (“village; people”) in the territory of the Squamish People.
The territory of the Squamish People includes the Burrard Inlet, English Bay, False Creek, and Howe Sound watersheds. While historically the Squamish People had a tradition of dual residencies between the Howe Sound Watershed and the English Bay or Burrard Inlet watershed, the majority of our people live on the North Shore of Vancouver in three communities in West Vancouver and North Vancouver and approximately 10 percent of our population living in communities along the Squamish River in Squamish, British Columbia.”
Learn more about the Squamish Nation
Talking with Grandmothers
For a more personal journey, Talking with Grandmothers tells the story of artist and writer Jenn Ashton. She has been tracing her connection to the Squamish Nation following on from the family history work of her uncle. She is a descendant of Siamelaht.
xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam Nation)
“We are traditional hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking people. Today, we are a strong, growing community of over 1,300 members. Many of our members live on a small portion of our traditional territory, known as the Musqueam Indian Reserve, located south of Marine Drive near the mouth of the Fraser River.”
səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation)
“Our Tsleil-Waututh Nation is one of many groups of Coast Salish peoples living in the Pacific Northwest, throughout British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. Our knowledge of the lands and waters of our territory has shaped our people.
Many generations have lived and thrived in this area, due in no small part to an abundance of resources. So we have a sacred trust, a responsibility to care for and restore our traditional territory to its former state. Our stewardship of the land, air, and water are deeply ingrained in our culture because we understand the health of our people is interconnected with the environment we inhabit.”
Cultural Understanding
Indigenous Corporate Training helps thousands of people and organisations every year build informed, effective, and respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples and communities through in-person workshops and online learning.
'“ICT was founded in 2002 by Bob Joseph, a Gwawaenuk Nation member who is a certified Master Trainer, with a background in business administration and a former associate professor at Royal Roads University.”
The ICT website has a number of free e-books from a Guide to Terminology when working with Indigenous Peoples to a Personal Pledge of Reconciliation to Dispelling Myths About indigenous Peoples.
Learn & Donate
The appalling treatment of Indigenous Peoples in the residential school system in Canada still has repercussions today. The intergenerational trauma suffered by survivors continues to deeply affect families and communities.
The Indian Residential School Survivors Society in North Vancouver offers counselling and support for those affected by the residential school system.
You can make donations through their website via Paypal or Canada Helps.
“We at Indian Residential School Survivor Society (IRSSS) strive to provide physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual growth, development, and healing through culturally-based values and guiding principles for Survivors, Families, and Communities.”
Truth and Reconciliation
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was officially launched in 2008 as part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA). The IRSSA is the largest class action in Canada recognising the devastating damage caused by the residential school system to Indigenous Peoples. Please do read these articles I’ve linked to here. There’s much more to this than a day off work/school once a year.
The final report, Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future, documents the horrendous experiences of over 150 000 residential school survivors. Many more died of malnourishment, abuse and neglect. The number is likely significantly higher but due to poor burial records, the numbers can not be accurate.
The report lists 94 recommendations or Calls to Action. If you prefer to read on paper you can buy a Calls to Action booklet published by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Indigenous Authors of Canada
Check out my list of 25 books by Indigenous Authors of Canada from short stories to memoirs to fiction inspired by the Indigenous experience. Plus books for younger people and non-fiction works about the traumatic effects of colonialism.
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