A Land or Territorial Acknowledgement is a tradition that has dated back centuries for Indigenous people, but for many non-Indigenous Canadians, officially recognizing the territory or lands we stand on is a fairly new concept. Indigenous people say it marks a small but essential step toward reconciliation. 
 
Our Rotary Club of Guelph often uses the following Land Acknowledgement statement, developed by our Indigenous Awareness Committee, and similar to the one read before Guelph City Council meetings. 
 
As we gather, we are reminded that Guelph is situated on treaty land that is steeped in rich indigenous history and has been home to a variety of peoples over the millennia. Today, this area has become home to many First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. As a community, we have a responsibility for the stewardship of the land on which we live and work. Today, we acknowledge the historic Mississaugas of the Credit, the First Nation people who were the treaty signatories of the territory on which we are meeting.
 
To learn more on this topic, see the background document prepared by our club's Indigenous Awareness Committee. Scroll down on Home Page to Download Files (on right hand side) and click on "Land and Territorial Acknowledgements." 
 
Also take a few minutes to watch this video.  https://vimeo.com/517181293  (5:40)
 
This video started out as a University of Guelph student project interviewing a local elder, Jan Sherman, about Land Acknowledgements. It was later developed into a script with animation and music being added by Indigenous artists, and narrated by a local Indigenous leader, Bruce Weaver.