what is settler colonialism?
Settler colonialism displaces and erases Indigenous peoples to replace them with a settler society. It is not a singular event, but rather an ongoing structure that thrives off the genocidal treatment of Indigenous peoples and white supremacy. Settler colonialism varies from colonialism due to the fact that settlers come to stay and permanently occupy Indigenous land.
land acknowledgments
There is no universal script for a land acknowledgment. A meaningful land acknowledgment requires self-reflection on behalf of the individual or organization delivering it. While reflecting on what to say in your acknowledgment, it’s important to be honest about what role you or your organization are playing in the ongoing occupation of Indigenous land and participation in colonial structures. Reflect on the intentions of why you are giving a land acknowledgment and whether this is self-serving or for the purpose of uplifting Indigenous communities.
It is important to put in the time and effort to research the history of the land you are on and whom it belongs to. The correct pronunciation of Indigenous place names, territories, nations, languages, and peoples that you are acknowledging is a sign of respect and should be practiced ahead of time.
Be forthright about the realities of genocide, ethnic cleansing, stolen land, and forced removal of Indigenous peoples by colonizers whilst also keeping in mind that survivors of this colonial violence may be in the audience and taking care to reduce harm with trigger warnings.
The land acknowledgment should use past, present, and future tenses. Indigenous peoples are still here. Colonial systems still remain. These are not conversations of the past. Your acknowledgment should span all timelines.
Expand outside of solely acknowledging colonial violence and erasure of Indigenous communities to shine a light on their strength and sovereignty. Land acknowledgments should also empower and be a celebration of ongoing resistance.
Giving thanks to the land is the acknowledgement of relations and dependency upon the land, it’s more than just empty words but also necessitates actions and living in reciprocity with all that the land gives us.
being in right relations
Going beyond acknowledging the land you and your organization is located upon, the next step is to integrate reconciliation work into the operations of your business and your day to day life. What is your relationship with the Indigenous nations whose land you work upon? If you have not yet established a relationship with them, begin to do so by researching initiatives, campaigns, and movements led by these communities to take part in. Are there any current calls to action made by Indigenous leaders within the community that you can help with? If you have the means to financially support local Indigenous-led organizations, consider making regular donations. If you’re not there yet, find other ways to partner with these organizations.
tangible actions to make in your organization
Invite Host Nation members to sit on your board and create new paid positions to employ folks within your organization that give them a real voice in the direction that you are moving, such as an ‘Indigenous Relations Coordinator’. A lot of the Truth and Reconciliation engagement ends up being performative with organizations rushing to hire Indigenous staff members only to tokenize them and replicate colonial power structures within the company.
Repair relationships with your Host Nations from any harm that the organization has done in the past by developing an Indigenous working group within the organization or schedule annual consultations with your Host Nations to gather feedback directly from these communities to identify policies and procedures that need adjustment to better serve Indigenous folks.
Redistribute money gathered from fundraising or allocate some of your profits to go directly to bursaries, micro-grants, and donations that provide funding to Indigenous individuals, organizations run by Indigenous collectives, and social movements created by Indigenous folks that need support.
Cultivate awareness amongst your staff on the harms perpetrated against Indigenous folks due to settler colonialism by reaching out to professional specialists or consultants to educate and facilitate these conversations. Through this process you can also develop an Indigenous Cultural Safety Plan within your organization to protect Indigenous staff from anti-Indigenous racism.
Make a public statement or create a section on your website discussing where your organization is situated, what your history is with the Host Nations of these lands, what role you may have played in upholding colonial structures in the past, and what actionable steps you are taking now in your journey of decolonizing your organization. This transparency should be for the purpose of holding yourself and your organization accountable to upholding these commitments, not for optics. Invite people to reach out to your team with feedback on how you can improve in regards to your commitments.
