Land acknowledgements are a path to decolonization and reconciliation and a way for non-Indigenous Canadians to acknowledge that live and carry out our lives on the lands of the Indigenous people of Vancouver Island and that those people have had a relationship with the land and cared for that land, since time immemorial.

Land acknowledgements are a way to raise awareness about colonialism and its lasting impacts, teach about decolonization and reconciliation and to raise awareness about the dark truths of Canadian history and the trauma Indigenous people have faced during that colonial history.

Land acknowledgements are a way to teach about the unique history of British Colombia and Vancouver Island and to teach that much of the Indigenous territory in B.C. is ‘unceded’, which means it was never legally ceded, or given up to the crown (government), through treaty or other arrangements. This means it was taken by force from the original people who lived on the land since time immemorial.

Land acknowledgements are a way to raise awareness about colonialism and its lasting traumatic impact on Indigenous people on Vancouver Island and in B.C., and the fact that they are still facing these impacts today. Land acknowledgements are a way teach non-indigenous people about decolonization and reconciliation, and to raise awareness about the dark truths of Canadian history. They are a way to cause people to begin to want to look at and learn more about the trauma Indigenous people have faced during that colonial history.

Land acknowledgements are about respect, ceremony and are meant to make people think about the land they live and work on, get people to want to know more about the Indigenous people who have lived on that land and taken care of it since time immemorial and to get people to feel uncomfortable about how the land was taken away from Indigenous people, without their consent or through dishonest means in most cases.

Land acknowledgements are to make people think about how non-indigenous people are immigrants and visitors to these lands and how we have not behaved respectfully towards the Indigenous people, who in some cases welcomed us to these lands and offered to share them with us. They are about acknowledging how the land was taken from the First Nations people, how their rights were stripped from them and how we as a colonialist society need to acknowledge and make strides towards mending the legacy of colonialism thoughts, beliefs and actions towards Indigenous people.

The purpose is to have colonial settlers feel a bit uncomfortable, so they will look more into colonial policies and see that these policies and beliefs are not okay. That no one should be treated this way and inspire people want to start their own reconciliation journey. If you don't like that it makes you uncomfortable, think about how it would feel to have your rights, culture, traditions, ceremonies, children, land and language taken away from you. Would you feel uncomfortable? Would you want, demand change? This is what Indigenous people want us to consider and think on when we talk about reconciliation.

They are also a way to realize that the colonized way of thinking, acting and doing is not the same as the Indigenous way of respect and ceremony and how we can learn to do things in a different way, from Indigenous wisdom keepers.

Land acknowledgements are a way of raising broader awareness on First Nations land title and rights, of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit culture and history and our own relationship to the land and waters of the places that we currently live and work on.

Land Acknowledgements something that is said or shown before:

• meetings
• assemblies
• concerts
• speaking engagements
• theater events
• presentations
• films
• videos
• schools and classrooms
• lectures
• on an institution's or organization's website
• on an institution's or organization's email signature
• cultural events
• press conferences
• place signs
• any type of gathering
• essays, papers or articles that are given out to a group of people.
• on websites
• on marketing materials
• in mission statements
• on posters

(Sourced in part from this site and this site)

Land and territory acknowledgements are important today because colonialism is not just a historical problem, it is ongoing in present day and still drastically affects all Indigenous people across Canada. These colonialist polices, practices and beliefs still create lasting harm for Indigenous people and continue to promote inequality discrimination towards Indigenous people and their land, promoting colonial rights about Indigenous rights.

Land acknowledgements should be delivered by the host or organizer of an event, or the most senior official present. It is crucial to approach the practice of giving land acknowledgements with sincerity and respect and as a way to promote and recognize the rights and land title of First Nations people within the context of colonization, decolonization and reconciliation.

The purpose of land acknowledgements isn't to get Indigenous people to acknowledge their own heritage, ancestry, culture, or treaty relationships. It is to get the Crown and colonial settlers to acknowledge these things and begin to make amends for these hurtful and discriminatory policies and behaviors.

A land acknowledgement is not just “something that is now done” in this new day and age. It is not just a checkmark on a box to be done and forgotten about. It is not just something everyone puts on the bottom of an email, but no one knows why, and no one reads it. It is not just an uncomfortable part of every opening gathering.

As land acknowledgements become more "popular", it is important to keep the spirit and intent of what these acknowledgements are for and not allow them to become pro forma statement or a formality to ‘get out of the way’ before the ‘real business’ can start. This is saying that Indigenous people and the land that you are on do not matter, which is a colonial mindset. This is what reconciliation is trying to get people to move away from, the idea that giving respect is something that should be done as fast as possible to move onto other more important things.

It is a way to show respect to the Indigenous people of Canada, recognizing their inherent and equal rights to be in Canada and to be part of Canada, and their right to be on the land and have the same equal rights as colonized citizens. Land acknowledgements honors their enduring presence and connection to the land. Indigenous word view believes that the land is not property, but that it is a living, sovereign entity, a relative and teacher that has spiritual and cultural significant for them.

Indigenous people should not be forced or asked to give land acknowledgements or write them!

If you or your company do this . . . you have missed the entire point. It is not about being politically correct, it is about respect for Indigenous people, their land and rights.

The purpose of land acknowledgements is not to get Indigenous people to acknowledge their own heritage, ancestry, culture, or treaty relationships. It is to get the Crown/government and colonial settlers to acknowledge their colonial attitudes, beliefs and policies and begin to make amends for the lasting traumatic impacts colonialism has had on Indigenous people across Canada.

My name is Renee Petr, a 4th generation immigrant Canadian, whose families immigrated here from England, the USA, Czech Republic, and Russia. I live on Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada, with my sister, mom, and dad. I have lived on the land people now call Comox for the last 13 years. The land that I am living on in Comox, BC, Vancouver Island, originally known as Kw’umuxws, is the traditional and unceded territory of the Pentl'ach and K'omoks peoples, who were the original care takers of this land.

My name is Renee Petr, a 4th generation immigrant Canadian, whose families immigrated here from England, the USA, Czech Republic, and Russia. I live on Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada, with my sister, mom, and dad. I have lived on the land people now call Comox for the last 13 years. The land that I am living on in Comox, BC, Vancouver Island, originally known as Kw’umuxws, is the traditional and unceded territory of the Pentl'ach and K'omoks peoples, who were the original care takers of this land.

The K’ómoks First Nation includes ancestry from the Saɬuɬtxʷ (Sathloot), Sasitla, Ieeksen and Xa'xe, who are traditionally ʔayʔaǰusəm speaking peoples, as well as Pentl'ach and Ligʷiłdaxʷ peoples. The new name of this land, Comox, comes from a word in Lik’wala, the dialect of Kwak’wala spoken by the Ligʷiłdaxʷ people. This word, Kw’umuxws, which has been anglicized as Comox, means “plentiful”, meaning to the abundance of earthly gifts that this land holds, from the animals, plants and beautiful landscapes. So many animals and plants make this place their home, with traditional medicines and food everywhere you go. This land has provided for the people who have lived on it since time immemorial and continues to do so. I want to acknowledge this relationship and inspire others who live here to learn more about all of the earthly gifts that this land has to offer, which is an incredibly important starting point to start to build a relationship with the land and all of the living beings on it.

My name is Renee Petr, a 4th generation immigrant Canadian, whose families immigrated here from England, the USA, Czech Republic, and Russia. I live on Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada with my sister, mom, and dad. I have lived on the land people now call Comox for the last 13 years. The land that I am living on in Comox, BC, Vancouver Island, originally known as Kw’umuxws, is the traditional and unceded territory of the Pentl'ach peoples, who were the original care takers of this land. However, due to Ligʷiłdaxʷ people moving southwards, the K’ómoks were pushed southwards into the Pentl'ach territory. The lands across Comox still remember the Pentl’ach people who first lived here, in names such as Puntledge River, as well as Comox Lake, which was first known as Pentlatch Lake.

The K’ómoks First Nation includes ancestry from the Saɬuɬtxʷ (Sathloot), Sasitla, Ieeksen and Xa'xe, who are traditionally ʔayʔaǰusəm speaking peoples, as well as Pentl'ach and Ligʷiłdaxʷ peoples. This was because of intermarriage and amalgamation after the effects of colonization, which through diseases brought by colonizers decimated the populations of not only the Pentl’ach and K’ómoks peoples, but also peoples all across Vancouver Island and Canada.

The new name of this land, Comox, comes from a word in Lik’wala, the dialect of Kwak’wala spoken by the Ligʷiłdaxʷ people. This word, Kw’umuxws, which has been anglicized as Comox, means “plentiful”, meaning to the abundance of earthly gifts that this land holds, from the animals, plants and beautiful landscapes. So many animals and plants make this place their home, with traditional medicines and food everywhere you go. This land has provided for the people who have lived on it since time immemorial and continues to do so. I want to acknowledge this relationship and inspire others who live here to learn more about all of the earthly gifts that this land has to offer, which is an incredibly important starting point to start to build a relationship with the land and all of the living beings on it.

On my path to reconciliation I have taken 2 Certificates from 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning from the First Nations University of Canada about reconciliation and decolonization. I am working on a certificate for Indigenous Community Language Planning from CILLIDI from the University of Alberta and I applied for and became a DWF Youth Ambassador in 2025. I am contributing to reconciliation through the reconciliACTION project that I have created, which is the Vancouver Island Indigenous Place Names brochure and the Vancouver Island Indigenous Information website, which I created to be a resource that local people and tourists to the Island can use to learn more about the Indigenous people of Vancouver Island and the unceded territories that they live on.

My name is Renee Petr, a 4th generation immigrant Canadian, whose families immigrated here from England, the USA, Czech Republic, and Russia. I live on Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada with my sister, mom, and dad. I respectfully acknowledge that the land we gather on is on the unceded traditional territory of the Pentlatch and K’ómoks First Nation, the traditional keepers of this land and the waters that surround it.

The K’omoks First Nation today comprises of several different groups, which are culturally K’omoks, Pentlatch and Kwakwaka’wakw. These groups include the Sahtloot, Sasitla, Ieeksun, Pentlatch and Liǧʷiłdaxʷ from Campbell River. The Sahtloot, Sasitla and Ieeksun all spoke ʔayʔaǰusəm, and the Pentl'ach language was spoken by the Pentl'ach people, and the Liǧʷiłdaxʷ traditionally spoke Lik’wala, although these languages were and are known by many different groups. These peoples lived in Salmon River, Quinsam, Campbell River, Quadra Island, Kye Bay, Comox Harbour and estuary, Baynes Sound, as well as many other locations.

On my path to reconciliation I have taken serveral certificates about reconciliation, decolonization and language revitalization planning and have created a brochure and website to help people learn more about Vancouver Island First Nations and their land.

My name is Renee Petr, a 4th generation immigrant Canadian, whose families immigrated here from England, the USA, Czech Republic, and Russia. I live on Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada with my sister, mom, and dad. I respectfully acknowledge the Pentl'ach and K’ómoks First Nations, who have lived on this land since time immemorial and were the traditional keepers and land stewards of the land and the waters around it.

For thousands of years the K’omoks people have occupied the shoreline of eastern Vancouver Island, including locations from Kelsey Bay in the north stretching down to Hornby and Denman Island in the south. This territory includes locations such as Salmon River, Quinsam, Campbell River, Quadra Island, Kye Bay, Comox Harbour and estuary, and Baynes Sound. The Pentlach and K’omoks people have a rich culture and history that includes ancient fish weirs, duck nets, berry picking and clothing design, which showed the utility, variety and uniqueness of their cultures.

On my path to reconciliation I have created a brochure and website to help people who live on the Island and tourists to this land to learn more about Vancouver Island First Nations, their land, territories, customs, traditions and Indigenous wisdom.

My name is Renee Petr, a 4th generation immigrant Canadian, whose families immigrated here from England, the USA, Czech Republic, and Russia. I live on Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada with my sister, mom, and dad. I would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather, and that I am privileged to call my home for the last 13 years, is the unceded territory of the Pentl'ach and K’ómoks First Nations, whose territories include locations such as Salmon River, Quinsam, Campbell River, Quadra Island, Kye Bay, Comox Harbour and estuary, and Baynes Sound.

The Pentl'ach and K’omoks First Nations people have historically had a rich and bountiful relationship with the land they live and have traditionally lived on since time immemorial. They are the traditional keeps of this land, a place referred to as “the land of plenty”, Their oral histories and archaeology show their deep history and relationship with this land and the waters that surround it. The land has traditionally been used to harvest salmon, shellfish, herring, deer, elk, seal, cod, rockfish, geese, duck, and many different berries and plants. The harvest, preparation, and cultivation of local resources were done in accordance with sacred protocols and were harvested ethically, based on what the seasons dictated was appropriate, and immediate need.

On my path to reconciliation I have taken 2 Certificates from 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning from First Nations University of Canada about reconciliation and decolonization. I am working on a certificate for Indigenous Community Language Planning from CILLIDI from University of Alberta and I applied for and became a DWF Youth Ambassador in 2025. My reconciliation project is the Vancouver Island Indigenous Place Names brochure and the Vancouver Island Indigenous Information website which I created to be a resource that local people and tourists to the Island can use to learn more about the Indigenous people of Vancouver Island and the unceded territories that they live on.