As we gather together, we acknowledge that the land we stand on is sacred. We recognize and respect that this land is the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. The territory was the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. This territory is also covered by the Upper Canada Treaties. Today, the meeting place of Toronto is still the home to many indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.
For those of us who are settlers, we thank all the generations of people who have taken care of this land, and we deeply appreciate their historic connection to this place. This recognition of the contributions and historic importance of Indigenous peoples must be clearly and overtly connected to our collective commitment to make the promise and the challenge of Truth and Reconciliation real in our communities and in our union. It also must be directly connected to our commitment to work with others to bring justice for murdered and missing indigenous women and girls across our country.