Our land acknowledgement
The Calgary TELUS Convention Centre (CTCC) is located in Calgary’s downtown core on Treaty 7 lands, inhabited by the Blackfoot people since time immemorial and other Indigenous nations such as the Stoney Nakoda Nation, the Tsuut’ina, and the Métis people of Alberta Region 3. As such and in the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, our organization has begun the journey of the true history of the lands in which we work and live through meaningful dialogue with elders, knowledge keepers, and Indigenous and Métis peoples in the area.
Guiding the future with the past
To begin our journey, it is important for our organization to understand the meaning and history of land acknowledgments and why they matter. They are more than just words; they are a form of greeting and a recognition of the gratitude we have to those Indigenous people who have been living in and taking care of the lands here on Turtle Island.
In working with a local Indigenous leader and Blackfoot Elder, members of our team took part in a walking land acknowledgement tour and workshop. Taking in the truths of Calgary’s history at Moh’kinsstis (the confluence of the Bow and the Elbow Rivers), we all left the day with further knowledge, humility, and eagerness to learn more.
The Calgary TELUS Convention Centre’s land acknowledgement was written together as a team and shared with all our employees; it was also shared with local Elders, knowledge keepers, and others from the Indigenous community for feedback. This land acknowledgment is not meant to be static, but reflective of what is learned by one’s own journey through truth and reconciliation. As a gathering place for delegates near and far, it is our intention to build a truly inviting and inclusive space where authentic stories and the convergence of ideas can be shared and created.
We are pleased to share with you the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre’s Land Acknowledgement. Please know that we encourage you to open your meetings and events with a land acknowledgement to spark true and authentic dialogue; advance your journey to make it your own – reflective and from the heart.
Land Acknowledgement
The Calgary TELUS Convention Centre hosts live events facilitating connections; promoting the convergence of ideas that may have never existed, – taking inspiration from “Wicispa (Win-Cheese-Pah), Guts’ists’I (Goo-tist-see) and Mohkinstsis (Moh-gihn-s-tis),” the confluence of the Bow and the Elbow Rivers.
Today we gather on Blackfoot Territory. These ancestral Treaty Seven lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy consist of the Siksika (Six-ih-gah) Nation, Piikani (Bee-gun-nee) Nation, and the Kainai (Gaa-nah) Nation; we also acknowledge the connection of the Iethka (ee-iith-kah) Stoney Nakoda Nation, consisting of the Chiniki (Chin-ih-key), Bearspaw (Bears-paw), and Good Stoney Bands, the people of the Tsuut’ina (Sue-tin-ah), and Metis government of the Metis Nation within Alberta District 6. These lands and connections make up an entire ecosystem, which they share with all of us as newcomers.
As we commence our journey here today, we do so by acknowledging these lands are more than just spaces; they are gathering places, deeply interwoven in the traditional Indigenous stories, songs, languages, ceremonies, and lifeways that must be honoured and protected.
By respecting these cherished lands where we work and live, we continue to encourage meaningful relationships – like those that have been unfolding here for thousands of years. It is our responsibility to be present, aware, and reflect every day, as we continue our journey towards truth and reconciliation – All our relations
Elder Sheldon First Rider
Blackfoot Elder Sheldon First Rider has been a beacon of wisdom and truth on our path toward reconciliation. As a residential school survivor from the Blood Nation in southern Alberta, Elder Sheldon has dedicated himself to educating businesses, organizations, and schools about the truths of this land – Mokhnistis.
His latest endeavor includes a series of videos where he shares history and truths from knowledge keepers and elders about Indigenous lifeways. The first video focuses on the Prairie Crocus, or kippiaapi in the Blackfoot language.
Elder Sheldon’s work continues to illuminate the cultural significance and resilience of Indigenous traditions.