We acknowledge that the land on which we gather and carry out our work is the traditional territory of many Nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnaabe, the Haudenosaunee, the Chippewa, and the Wendat Peoples. These lands remain home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. We honour the enduring presence, stewardship, and sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples, recognizing these territories as places of rich culture, governance, and reciprocal relationships with land and water since time immemorial and as lands that continue to resist ongoing colonial occupation.

We also honour the histories, identities, and lived experiences of Afro-Indigenous Peoples, whose Nations, families, and communities embody both African and Indigenous lineages. Their stories include forced migration through the transatlantic slave trade, displacement, colonial violence, and paper genocide forms of erasure that continue to impact recognition, land rights, and community continuity. Despite this, Afro-Indigenous Peoples have long shaped the cultural, political, and social fabric of these territories, even when dominant narratives have attempted to exclude their presence. We uplift their leadership, resistance, and their ongoing fight for visibility, sovereignty, and justice.

We affirm that land acknowledgments must be more than symbolic. We commit ourselves to advancing truth, justice, and decolonization by supporting Indigenous sovereignty, defending land and water, and honouring the knowledge systems that sustain life. This includes advocating for material forms of restitution such as reparations, land return, and community led restoration as part of a broader commitment to restorative justice and collective liberation. We pledge to stand in solidarity with Indigenous and Afro-Indigenous communities in the ongoing struggle to dismantle colonial systems and build a future rooted in accountability, equity, and freedom.

— Resettlement Society for Displaced Afro Indigenous Nova Scotians