What Acknowledgement Actually Asks of You

We’re glad you’re here. And we want to be honest with you about something. A land acknowledgement is not a formality. Reading a script before moving to the agenda, or sharing a video in an email signature, is a starting point. It is not the destination.

Acknowledgement, meaningfully practiced, is a recognition of an ongoing relationship. It asks more than a moment. It asks intention, attention, and action.

The most impactful land acknowledgements are connected to something real: a commitment your organization is actively living, not just stating. Before you share our resources, we invite you to sit with a few questions:

• Do the people reading or sharing this acknowledgement understand what it means? Not just the words, but the weight of them?
• Is this acknowledgement connected to concrete action your organization is taking in relationship with Indigenous peoples and this territory?
• What would it look like to honor that relationship not just at the opening of an event, but in how your organization operates every day?

We are not asking for perfection. We are asking for intention.

A land acknowledgement offered with genuine commitment, even an imperfect, evolving one, means far more than a polished script read without thought.

Not sure where to start? First Light offers education and training to help organizations move from acknowledgement to action.

Reflecting

We encourage you to share your reconciliation work: loudly, and often. But consider why you’re sharing it.

There is a difference between sharing to demonstrate your values and sharing to invite others into them. Posting a land acknowledgement, amplifying Indigenous voices, or highlighting the steps your organization is taking toward reconciliation are all meaningful acts. They can be a powerful act of modeling. It shows others what’s possible. It moves the conversation forward. It brings people in.

But when public sharing exists primarily to reflect well on the organization rather than to advance the work, it can cause harm to the very communities it claims to support.

The question worth asking before you share isn’t ‘will this reflect well on us’? It’s ‘will this bring someone else into this conversation’? Reconciliation grows when people share their learning with humility, including the parts they’re still figuring out. That kind of transparency is more valuable to this work than any polished statement of intent.

Share because it matters. Share because it might move someone else to act.

Background

Acknowledging the territory in which a gathering takes place is a demonstration of respect for Indigenous Peoples and our past and present contributions to the province. The acknowledgement is offered to recognize our ancestors and the history of the land that is currently shared by many. It is also offered to emphasize that the lands on which we gather are to be cared for as a shared responsibility of all those who reside in a territory.

As communities search for collective healing and work toward reconciliation, many individuals and organizations are seeking to implement meaningful acts of change to contribute to the process. Opening meetings and public events with a land acknowledgement is a welcomed practice that indicates your commitment as an individual and as an organization to be intentional with your efforts in promoting truth and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Living Land Acknowledgement

You are welcome to share our living land acknowledgement.

Filmed across beloved landmarks in St. John’s – including Signal Hill, Quidi Vidi, and Cape Spear – the Land Acknowledgement video centres Indigenous voice, spirit, and presence right where it belongs.

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

After sharing our living land acknowledgement, you must write your own acknowledgement, and you can add the content below to support your writing. Remember, acknowledgements are a sign of your commitment to being an active participant in the truth and reconciliation process: they should be specific to you, and your organization. 

As a demonstration of allyship we encourage you to share the ways that you or your organization are actively participating in reconciliation as an acknowledgement of your commitment.