Land acknowledgement

My commitment to reconciliation starts with acknowledging what an honour it is to live, work and play on the ancestral and unceded lands of Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island. 

I further acknowledge Moh’kinsstis, located on Treaty 7 territory, as the land on which I primarily create and serve. I believe in the importance of honouring the original peoples and oral practices of the Blackfoot confederacy comprised of the Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani, as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations, the Métis Nation of Alberta (Region 3) and all nations, genders and spirits who make their home in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

I am an uninvited guest in this territory, I was born on the unceded lands of the Lekwungen peoples on the southern end of Vancouver Island and I have gratefully called Moh’kinsstis home since 1998. My ancestral roots are of Celtic and Saami origin. 

I believe that we must all acknowledge the irreparable harms of colonization which remain continuous and ongoing. We must also acknowledge and celebrate the knowledge, wisdom and talents of the original peoples of Turtle Island.  Further, as an artist and poet, I am committed to unlearning colonial language which upholds and perpetuates harm and erasure of Indigenous peoples. I am committed to decolonization efforts and to investing my personal and professional energy into kinship, kindness and connection across cultures. 

Go raibh míle maith agat.

Giitu. Thank you.