A Living Acknowledgment: Reclaiming Space Through Story and Spirit

St. John’s, NL – First Light is proud to release two powerful new videos that affirm our languages, our presence, and our deep relationship to this land we still call home.

Filmed across beloved landmarks in St. John’s – including Signal Hill, Quidi Vidi, and Cape Spear – both videos centre Indigenous voice, spirit, and presence right where it belongs. These videos are part of our ongoing work to reclaim space, centre Indigenous voices, and honour the stories that shape our collective future. We hope they offer a moment of reflection – and an invitation to walk with us in a spirit of truth and reconciliation.

Spoken entirely in Mi’kmaw, Innu-aimun, and Inuktitut, with English subtitles, they represent Indigenous resurgence. In a place where Indigenous language and ceremony were once silenced, our words now rise with pride and purpose. 

“When we speak our languages in these spaces, we do more than remember – we reclaim. We celebrate. We heal.” —MaryAngela Rich

You will see our community coming together, standing tall and proud, rooted in who we are and where we came from. This is what National Indigenous Peoples Day is all about: celebrating the vibrance and resilience of the diverse urban Indigenous community in our beautiful city. This isn’t a historical tribute – it’s a declaration of continuing presence. Indigenous people are not confined to the past. We are here. We are thriving. And we are visibly reclaiming our space.

Both videos feature members of the urban Indigenous community practicing culture and ceremony in familiar public spaces, reminding viewers that this city has always been Indigenous land, and it still is. These moments reflect First Light’s commitment to healing through visibility, connection through shared experience, and empowerment through cultural reclamation.

As the only Indigenous-led organization in St. John’s, First Light is often asked to deliver land acknowledgments. To acknowledge the land is more than protocol – it is living truth. It’s an act of visibility, justice, and love for the communities we serve. It reflects our commitment to honouring story and spirit as pathways to systemic change. This is the focus of our first video: our Living Land Acknowledgment.The second video, released alongside the Land Acknowledgment, offers a glimpse into First Light’s broader work grounded in culture, ceremony, advocacy, care, and connection. Together, they tell a story of resilience, reclamation, and hope, rooted in the values that guide us every day.

🔗 Watch our Living Land Acknowledgment

🔗 Then explore First Light’s broader story of culture and care

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