As we continue to do our part to root out colonialism and systemic racism in paediatric health care, we are starting conversations about Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Decolonization, and Indigenization (EDI-DI) at every level of the CHILD-BRIGHT Network.
Symbia Barnaby
As part of these efforts, we were delighted to welcome Symbia Barnaby to give a presentation on the importance of Indigenous land acknowledgements to members of our National Youth Advisory Panel.
Living in northern British Columbia, Symbia is an Indigenous woman of Haida and Mi’kmaq descent. Her traditional Haida name is Guu Gang Jung and her spirit name is Warrior Woman. She has consulted, developed, and run many workshops on anti-racism, disability, inclusive education, intersectionality, and health equity through an Indigenous lens. She is currently a member of CHILD-BRIGHT's Citizen Engagement Council (CEC).
Together, Symbia and the NYAP members discussed the following topics:
Why land acknowledgments are important and when to use them
During the conversation, Symbia told the group that acknowledging the traditional territory we are on is part of “our collective responsibility to the truth and reconciliation process”.
“Part of the truth and reconciliation process is truth-telling. We can’t have reconciliation without first telling the truth,” she said.
“Every person who considers themselves Canadian has a role to help with the truth and reconciliation process. So, every time we do a land acknowledgement, that’s part of us taking up our responsibility as Canadians to engage with that process.”
“It is also important to take the time to reflect and learn about why this acknowledgement matters to Indigenous Peoples,” adds Symbia. “This genuine commitment to understanding, learning, reflecting, and honouring is key to the relationship building process that this land acknowledgement strives to encourage.”
Symbia also explained that land acknowledgements are a first step toward including Indigenous voices and perspectives, and shouldn’t be viewed as the end of work to advance truth and reconciliation.
The group also discussed the many ways and times land acknowledgements can be used (e.g. in email signatures, on websites, and at the beginning of events like conferences, conventions, meetings, and webinars).
How to find out whose traditional territory we live on
From top left to bottom right: Alix Zerbo, Knowledge Translation Coordinator; Julia Tesolin, NYAP Administrative Assistant; Roberta Cardoso, Research Associate, Knowledge Translation; Symbia Barnaby, presenter and CEC member; Corinne Lalonde, Citizen Engagement Coordinator/Project Manager; Jane O’Faherty, Communications Advisor; Hans Dupuis, NYAP member; Neela Spurway, NYAP member; Lena Faust, NYAP member; Mathias Castaldo, NYAP member; Logan Wong, Chair of the NYAP; Claire-Dawe McCord, NYAP member.
Symbia also shared some resources to help people identify which traditional territory they live on, like Native-Land.ca and Whose.Land.
The group also discussed the differences between “treaty land”, “unceded territory” or intersectional space - words often heard in land acknowledgements, but not always fully understood.
Treaty land refers to land that Indigenous peoples agreed to share in exchange for payment, goods, or promises as part of a treaty with the Crown. Historically, treaties with Indigenous Peoples have not always been honoured.
Unceded territory refers to land that has belonged to Indigenous people that was never surrendered or acquired by the Crown.
There are also areas where the traditional territories of numerous Indigenous communities overlap and the communities share this land and its resources. These communities have a special spiritual, cultural, and economic connection to this land that goes back thousands of years.
“For some people, this is the first time they’ve ever had someone talk to them about a land acknowledgement,” she said. “Sometimes, people hear land acknowledgements all the time but they don’t understand the pieces of it.”
“When we talk about land acknowledgements, if we don’t have that understanding of the history of Canada, it’s really hard to understand what those words mean,” she added.
What a land acknowledgement should include
Before concluding, Symbia shared tips with the group about what to include in a land acknowledgment, such as:
Your name, or the name of the organization, company, business, club, or group that you are writing the land acknowledgement for
Acknowledging positionality, or how our position or the power we hold in society influences our identity. You can do this by sharing if you are a newcomer to Canada, a descendant of a family that settled in Canada, a member of an Indigenous group
Acknowledging the traditional territory that you are on and explaining whether it is treaty land, unceded territory or intersectional space
Your commitments or next steps to helping the truth and reconciliation (e.g. familiarizing yourself with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, adding land acknowledgements to email signatures, reading books and watching films that centre Indigenous voices, etc.).
Having cultural humility was also important, said Symbia. This means understanding that we might make mistakes, such as pronouncing a traditional territory’s name wrong, but showing that we’re doing our best.
“Knowing that you will likely make a mistake is okay. Asking questions and telling people that you wholeheartedly want to know is really important. We need to understand that a big part of this is learning about each other and building safe connections.”
Going beyond acknowledgement to genuine action
“Symbia’s presentation was great,” said Logan Wong, Chair of the NYAP. “I think it would be important to discuss/think about whether we want to make a collective land acknowledgement or individualized ones based on our geographic locations.”
Meanwhile, Lena Faust said: “What I particularly liked about our discussion of land acknowledgements was Symbia’s recommendation to include a statement on how each of us can go beyond acknowledgement to genuine action on honouring reconciliation in our work.”
Claire Dawe-McCord said she loved the idea of including a land acknowledgement. “It is something I do regularly for school and would be happy to carry over to this context as well,” she added.
“It’s really interesting to have an insight on topics that are not well-understood,” said Hans Dupuis. “This presentation helped to remove the doubt from certain misunderstandings I had about land acknowledgments.”
“The presentation was very informative and helped me have a greater understanding of land acknowledgments,” said Mathias Castaldo. “It showed the group how we can be supportive of Indigenous people and rights.”
NYAP Administrative Assistant and Ph.D. student Julia Tesolin said: “Symbia’s presentation allowed me to develop a more meaningful understanding of why it is so important to acknowledge the land that we live/work on, and I really appreciated her unique and personalized approach of educating us on its significance.”
CHILD-BRIGHT's land acknowledgement can be found on our EDI-DI page.
The NYAP, along with the entire CHILD-BRIGHT Network, are grateful to Symbia for her insights and contributions. We all look forward to doing more to centre the voices of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities in our work.