Truth & Reconciliation Statement
This page, along with our Truth & Reconciliation journey, is an ongoing work in progress.
Please check back as we update this page regularly.
Land Acknowledgement
In the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, we honor and acknowledge the traditional Treaty 7 territory of the Iyârhe [E-a-hay] (Stoney) Nakoda Nations of the Bearspaw, Chiniki [Chin-i-kee], and Goodstoney Nations, the Blackfoot Confederacy of Kainai [Guy-neye], Piikani [Bee-gun-nee], and Siksika [Sig-sig-ga] Nations, the Tsuu T’ina [Soot-tin-a] Nation of the Dene people, the Ktunaxa [k-too-nah-ha], Secwépemc [seck-wep-em], Mountain Cree, and Métis Nation of Alberta District 4 within the Battle River Territory.
As Treaty people, we acknowledge the past, present, and future generations of these Nations, and are grateful to have the opportunity to live, work, play, and rest on these lands. We commit to living in right relations and working to advance Truth and Reconciliation.
This land acknowledgement is a work in progress. As we listen and learn more, we hope to advance our own Truth & Reconciliation journey and improve relationships with local Indigenous communities across the Bow Valley.
To learn more about Land Acknowledgements, including how to write your own, please view these resources:
The Land We Are On: A Presentation about Land Acknowledgement Statements and What They Mean (The Whyte Museum)
An Introduction to Land Acknowledgements: Why, When, and How to Write One For your Business (Rise Consulting)
Our Commitment
The Bow Valley Immigration Partnership (BVIP) is committed to our journey towards Truth and Reconciliation. We know we have so much to learn, and a land acknowledgment is just the beginning.
We bring together people and organizations across the Bow Valley to build a welcoming and inclusive community for all - including newcomers and immigrants. We know it will take more than just one single group or organization to achieve our vision, and we cannot do it without Indigenous communities.
We are starting by listening to Indigenous elders and knowledge-keepers. We understand our responsibility to educate ourselves and our members. We have a lot of work to do and acknowledge that along the journey we may make mistakes. The resources on this page have been recommended to us as a way to learn and act on Truth and Reconciliation in the Bow Valley.
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR)
The NCTR is a place of learning and dialogue where the truths of the residential school experience will be honoured and kept safe for future generations.
The NCTR was created as part of the mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). The TRC was charged to listen to Survivors, their families, communities and others affected by the residential school system and educate Canadians about their experiences. The resulting collection of statements, documents and other materials now forms the sacred heart of the NCTR.
The NCTR Archives and Collections is the foundation for ongoing learning and research. Here, Survivors, their families, educators, researchers, and the public can examine the residential school system more deeply with the goal of fostering reconciliation and healing. Learn about the NCTR.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: 94 Calls to Action
In order to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission made 94 Calls to Action in 2015. BVIP is committed to taking action, particularly on Commitments 93 and 94:
Newcomers to Canada
Call to Action 93: We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with the national Aboriginal organizations, to revise the information kit for newcomers to Canada and its citizenship test to reflect a more inclusive history of the diverse Aboriginal peoples of Canada, including Calls to Action| 11 information about the Treaties and the history of residential schools.
Call to Action 94: We call upon the Government of Canada to replace the Oath of Citizenship with the following: I swear (or affirm) that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada including Treaties with Indigenous Peoples, and fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen.
Indigenous Canada Online Course, University of Alberta
Indigenous Canada is a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores Indigenous histories and contemporary issues in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations. Topics for the 12 lessons include the fur trade and other exchange relationships, land claims and environmental impacts, legal systems and rights, political conflicts and alliances, Indigenous political activism, and contemporary Indigenous life, art and its expressions. Learn about Indigenous Canada.
“These Mountains Are Our Sacred Places”, Chief John Snow
“Dr. Snow works humbly within an Indigenous paradigm. He shoulders the responsibility of interpreting the oral teachings, and this takes great skill and knowledge of self. As an intermediary, he eloquently interprets the elders’ knowledge, thus positioning it in time and honouring the traditional way of passing knowledge. He poignantly captures in print the time-honoured ways of servant leadership and situational leadership, traditional organizational structures and perspectives on relationships (including our human responsibility to each other and our relationship with the land, elements, and the cosmos). These Mountains Are Our Sacred Places acknowledges our interdependence and the holistic nature of the world. The book highlights the structures that work for First Nations peoples, including decision making through consensus and equal voice rather than through power, authority, and control, which are elements of linear thinking.” Learn more about Chief John Snow's book.
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)
UNDRIP was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on September 13, 2007. The Declaration is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of indigenous peoples. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world and it elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous peoples. Learn more about UNDRIP.
What BVIP has done so far
We know we have a lot to learn and see Truth & Reconciliation as an ongoing process. Here is what BVIP has done so far:
Hosted a workshop on ‘Indigenous History, Culture, and Rights for Newcomers’, presented by The Banff Centre’s Indigenous Leadership and Management Department
Volunteered at the Banff Iiniskim Cross-Cultural Powwow
Listened and learned from the Bow Valley Truth & Reconciliation Committee
Worked with the Stoney Nakoda Job Resource Centre to learn about the needs of adult lifelong learners in Stoney Nakoda communities, as part of a partnership with Bow Valley Learning Council and Bow Valley College of adult learning needs throughout the Bow Valley.
If you notice any errors on this page, please let us know. We are willing to learn from our mistakes and always want to do better. Contact us.
Links and Resources
Native Land Digital (Find the original inhabitants of the land where you were born or live on now)