Stratford adopts new land acknowledgment

City councilors in Stratford have formalized a new official land acknowledgment that will recognize the Neutral (Attawandaron), Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples at future meetings and events.

Kevin Bonnell, the city’s manager of diversity, equity and Indigenous initiatives, told councilors at their meeting Tuesday the land acknowledgment was developed through consultations with Indigenous people between April and October of last year.

“The land acknowledgment is only the first step to move toward reconciliation,” Bonnell said at the meeting. “The hope is to provide meaningful opportunities for learning about Indigenous histories and practices to better inform our work. Additionally, we will be working on creating procedures for staff to respectfully engage with Indigenous people and, lastly, we will continue to build meaningful relationships with Indigenous people.”

The new land acknowledgment says: “We acknowledge that Stratford is positioned on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe and the Neutral (Attawandaron) peoples. As we gather, we are reminded that the City of Stratford is situated on treaty land that is steeped in rich Indigenous history and home to many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples today. We acknowledge that Stratford is situated on land that was shared between the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe and the Neutral (Attawandaron) peoples. We are grateful to have the opportunity to live, work, and play on this land.”

Land acknowledgments have become more common in recent years as many Canadian institutions grapple with calls to action the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission published in 2015. Those 94 recommendations, which followed the commission’s effort to educate people about the history and legacy of the residential schools system , rose to prominence again in 2021 when ground-penetrating radar uncovered around 200 bodies in a mass grave outside a former residential school in Kamloops, BC

Stratford’s new land acknowledgment includes three distinct groups.

According to a report Bonnell presented to councilors Tuesday, the name Attawandaron is used by the Huron-Wendat to mean “people of a slightly different language.” Attawandaron is an Iroquoian people who lived in what is now Southwestern Ontario and Neutral was the Iroquoian language spoken by the Neutral Nation.

Anishinaabe translates to “people from whence lowered,” the report said. The Anishinaabe speak Anishinaabe languages ​​that belong to the Algonquian language family and are present in the Great Lakes region.

The name Haudenosaunee describes “people who build a house,” according to council documents. The name represents the confederation among six Native American nations, more commonly known as the Iroquois Confederacy. The six nations that comprise the Haudenosaunee speak more than 10 Iroquoian languages.

Bonnell’s report notes that Stratford’s land acknowledgment is also meant to recognize two specific treaties, The Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant of 1701 and The Huron Tract Treaty of 1827.

The first was development by Indigenous people of the Great Lakes region and northwestern North America to describe how the land can be shared to the mutual benefit all people living on it. The second – which included Southwestern Ontario bordering on Lake Huron and Lake Erie – was made between 18 Anishinaabek Chiefs and the Canada Company

The land acknowledgment received unanimous approval from councilors Tuesday.

Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma praised the work of the city’s diversity, equity and Indigenous initiatives department.

“There’s much more work to be done,” Ritsma said, “but certainly it is a great department doing wonderful work.”

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