Land Acknowledgement

The members and staff of the College of Chiropodists of Ontario respectfully acknowledge that we are situated on the traditional territories of the fourteen First Nation peoples of Ontario – the Anishinaabe (A-ni-shi-naa-be), the Haudenosaunee-Onk we hone (How-den-o-sew-knee-Onk-we hone), the Mush ke gowuk Cree (Mush-go-wuk-Cree), the Mohawk, the Tus ca rora (tus-ca-rora), the Seneca, the Cayuga, the Oneida, the Delaware, the Mississauga, the Chippewa, the Pot ta wa tami, the Algonquin and the Odawa peoples. We also acknowledge the presence of the Métis and Inuit as well as Indigenous peoples and First Nations peoples living off reserve and in urban areas.

The College recognizes the longer history of these founding people that predates the establishments of the earliest European colonies and pay respect to their role and history as keepers of this land and to the land itself.

We recognize that by making this acknowledgement, we are only taking the first step in fulfilling our responsibility to critically look at our colonial history and the present-day implications that we continue benefit from as immigrants to this great land.

We accept that we have a duty to reflect on and reconcile our actions which have caused pain and suffering to these peoples and to the land itself.

Lastly, today we acknowledge that, by remaining silent, we are complicit in enabling an ongoing and enduring suppression of First Nations and Indigenous Peoples and their due as respected and capable contributors and collaborators to the future of this great country. We recognize that this acknowledgement only becomes meaningful when combined with authentic relationships and informed actions and so, to this end, we pledge our commitment to do better.

And so, let us reach out to the First Nations and Indigenous peoples of Ontario for insight respecting the services we offer and the policies we adopt to ensure that they serve the interests of the First Nations and Indigenous peoples.