We Wish To Acknowledge...

We wish to acknowledge that we are living and working together on land that has been inhabited by Indigenous peoples from the beginning. Muskoka Parry Sound Sexual Assault Services wants to acknowledge the impact colonization, oppression and violence of all forms has …aimed particularly at Indigenous peoples since the time of colonial settlement of Turtle Island and elsewhere in the world. We are grateful for the opportunity to be here and thank all the generations of people who have taken care of this land and its waters – for thousands of years. Our staff are both settlers and Indigenous people and we are working together to bring the healing practices of both cultures together for decolonizing practice and healing the harms of sexual and colonial violence. Long before today, as we gather from all our homes and offices, there have been Indigenous Peoples who have been the stewards of this place. In the colonial boundary of Ontario we acknowledge the Cree, Oji -Cree, Haudenosaunee, Huron Wendat, Anishinabeeg, Metis and Inuit peoples of this large region surrounded by huge bodies of fresh and salt water. Our office is in Williams Treaty lands of 1923 and this is the home of Anishinabeeg, - Ojibway, Potawatomi, Chippewa and Odawa peoples, while to the north, the Algonquins. The Wahta territory of Haudenosaunee peoples nearby are Mohawk people, who travelled these waterways for milennia. Our agency also covers lands in the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850 area. We recognize the harms done by the long failure to find resolution of the annuity disputes and with the Indian Act as it is. We recognize and deeply appreciate the Indigenous peoples’ historic connection to this place. We recognize the contributions First Nations, Metis, Inuit and other Indigenous peoples have made, both in shaping and strengthening this community, and all of the teachings we learn in their Nation to Nation relationship with Canada. As a community group, we are committed to practices of anti-violence, anti-oppression, decolonization, truth, conciliation and justice for murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls, 2S and all relatives. We also want to recognize the terrible impacts of colonization on Indigenous African peoples, many of whom were brought by colonizers to this territory, and while also settlers, arrived here as enslaved peoples. The historic legacy of racist white supremacy continues today, and must inform our commitment to end oppression of all kinds and challenge the colonial power systems that create and maintain it. We are committed to reconciliation work and to development of the capacity of other settlers to recognize the harms done by racism and colonization. We are also committed to providing culturally appropriate healing and advocacy to Indigenous clients of the agency and in the broader region of Turtle Island where we serve. As a mainstream agency our work must also be clearly and overtly connected to our collective commitment to make the promise and challenge of Truth and Reconciliation real in our communities. We must do this with our actions, not simply with words. We are incorporating Indigenous knowledge and healing practices throughout our work, and advocacy for truth and reconciliation and closing the gap on racist practices that prevent access to services for Indigenous people are our priorities. We welcome your feedback on how we are doing. We also want you to reach out to us if you want to join us in our work. Miigwetch – nia-wen …