AV¾ãÀÖ²¿

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.

Earlier this year, working together with the Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC), AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ began a process to update our university land acknowledgement to better reflect the importance of Indigenous Peoples, their Treaty rights, and significant contributions to our university and our communities. We sought to better reflect the broader lands on which AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ operates — expanding it to include the territories of the Wolastoqey and Peskotomuhkati Peoples — as well as work undertaken through the Understanding our RootsÌý¾±²Ô¾±³Ù¾±²¹³Ù¾±±¹±ð.

The revised land acknowledgement is supported by the IAC, 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:

AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ 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 AV¾ãÀÖ²¿ 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 . You can also learn more about the land acknowledgement and its use by visiting this website.

Thank you to the Indigenous Advisory Committee and everyone involved in the consideration, creation, and care of this important acknowledgement.