We wish to emphasize that this is a guide, not a script. The following acknowledgements have been developed by the Aboriginal Gathering Place, the ECU Aboriginal advisory committee and our cultural advisors.
A territorial acknowledgement can be read aloud/stated by anyone (it does not have to be an Indigenous person). The welcome to the territory can only be provided by a member of the Nation (Elder or designate), as these Nations have lived on this land since time immemorial. The acknowledgement is particularly designed to assist people that do not identify as Indigenous to situate themselves within an Indigenous place/territory, therefore it is important to not ask your Aboriginal students to give an acknowledgement or welcome. It is also designed to remind people of a deeper history that is often forgotten or neglected.
Spoken Acknowledgements
Examples of spoken acknowledgements:
“I respectfully acknowledge that Emily Carr University is on unceded Coast Salish Territories; the traditional and ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.”
OR
“I would like to acknowledge and thank the Coast Salish Nations of Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish, on whose unceded traditional territories we teach, learn, and live.”
Pronunciation Guide:
Musqueam (pronounced Mus-kwee-um)
Tsleil-Waututh (pronounced Slay-wah-tooth)
Squamish (pronounced Skwa-mish)
Unceded means that this land was never surrendered, relinquished or handed over in any way.
Written Acknowledgements
For written acknowledgements you can use the same Territorial Acknowledgement that is on our business cards, “Emily Carr University is situated on traditional unceded Coast Salish Territories”, or if you wanted to list each nation individually use either:
“Emily Carr University is situated on unceded, traditional and ancestral xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories.”
OR
“Emily Carr University is situated on traditional unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territories.”
Host Nations
Learn about the three Host Nations:
Further Resources
Resources if you are interested in learning more about territorial acknowledgments:
- Canadian Association of University Teachers: Guide to Acknowledging First Peoples & Traditional Territory
- Pulling Together, Section 3: Understanding Territorial Acknowledgement as a Respectful Relationship
- âpihtawikosisân: Beyond Territorial Acknowledgments
- City of Vancouver: First Peoples, A Guide for Newcomers
- A Guide to the Pronunciation of Indigenous Communities and Organizations in BC