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Updated land acknowledgement

Posted by Communications, Marketing and Creative Services on September 25, 2024 in General Announcements

Recognizing and paying respect to the First Peoples on whose territories we live, work, and study is a vital part of our ongoing commitment to truth and reconciliation.

Dalhousie's land acknowledgement has been updated this fall to better reflect the importance of Indigenous Peoples, their Treaty rights, and significant contributions to our university and our communities. The revised acknowledgement is supported by the Indigenous Advisory Council, is consistent with statements currently used by Senate and at Convocation, and has been adopted by the Board for use at its meetings and activities.

It reads as follows:

Dalhousie University operates in the unceded territories of the Mi’kmaw, Wolastoqey, and Peskotomuhkati Peoples. These sovereign nations hold inherent rights as the original peoples of these lands, and we each carry collective obligations under the Peace and Friendship Treaties. Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes and affirms Aboriginal and Treaty rights in Canada.

Over time, the university will be updating its official documents and meeting practices to reflect the revised land acknowledgement as part of our ongoing commitment to truth and reconciliation. Other members of the Dalhousie community are invited to also adopt this language into their practices as well.

Faculty and staff who wish to update their email signatures can do so by following the instructions here. You can also learn more about the land acknowledgement and its use by visiting this website.