Ndio! Aaniin! Shé:kon!

Aftermetoo wants to acknowledge the Indigenous peoples who are the traditional stewards of the lands and waters on which we live and work. We would like to appreciate and honour their wisdom and their resiliency.

This website was made by people living and working in multiple locations, primarily in the traditional territories of the Anishinaabeg (ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᒃ), the Huron-Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and the Mississaugas of the Credit (Michi Saagiig), as well as in the traditional territories of the St. Lawrence Iroquoians, the Kanienʼkehá:ka, and the Haudenosaunee extending northeast from Akwesásne.

Aftermetoo acknowledges that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples have experienced hundreds of years of colonization, persecution, and ongoing structural violence, which has had, and continues to have, devastating impacts on many aspects of their lives. We believe that as settlers we need to be accountable for that, so that we can move forward with Indigenous peoples into a future of conciliation.

We affirm our understanding that Canada must recognize and respect First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples’ Treaty, constitutional, and human rights as the original peoples of this land and as self-determining peoples. We understand that as Canadians we have a responsibility to show respect for Indigenous peoples, to support their cultural revitalization, and to work toward making Canada more equitable and just in its relationships with Indigenous peoples.

We are still learning. If we’ve made a mistake in anything we’ve written here, we’d be grateful if you would let us know so we can fix it.

Tiawenhk! Miigwech! Niawen’kó:wa!

In developing this land acknowledgment, we consulted many sources. We benefited from, and are grateful for, the Native Land Digital and Whose Land websites, and writings about land acknowledgements by Miranda Black, Mnawaate Gordon-Corbiere, the Native Governance Center, and âpihtawikosisân (Chelsea Vowel). We have also benefited from, and highly recommend, these resources for people who are trying to better understand Indigenous peoples and how they have been affected by colonization.