Land Acknowledgement & Working with Elders

Following the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation), Land Acknowledgements before any art, sports, or public event, helps usher in the first steps necessary to recognize the true owners of the land: the traditional First Nations, Métis and/or Inuit territories that are the places where we live, play, and perform on. Acknowledgements can be formally spoken, visually written in a program or signs, and/or represented in many different forms.

Articles on the importance of Land Acknowledgements:

• Local Love: What Are Land Acknowledgements and Why Do They Matter? By Selena Mills
  
• CBC Toronto: What is the significance of acknowledging the Indigenous land we stand on?
  
• Native Land: Territory Acknowledgement
  

Resources to help craft your own Land Acknowledgement in BC and Canada:

• Canadian Association of University Teachers - Guide to Acknowledging First Peoples & Traditional Territory (Contains examples of Land Acknowledgements done in other provinces)
  
• Native Land: Territories Map on Turtle Island (aka Canada)
  
• First Peoples' Cultural Council: Territorial Acknowledgements
• Pronunciation Guide to First Nations in British Columbia
  

Pro tip: Having an elder or representative of the nation your show/event/festival is taking place for a more formalized welcome is very important, especially if your show/event/festival engages international audiences and/or artists. Consider connecting with Indigenous organizations to help you to connect and/or consult on appropriate protocol when connecting with a nation or nations. Here's a great resource on the First Peoples' Cultural Council website: Guidelines to Support Working with Elders.

Vancouver and Canadian Indigenous-led organizations:

• Indigenous Perspectives Society
  
• Full Circle: First Nations Performance
  
• Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society
  
• First Peoples' Cultural Council

• Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (Toronto and other Canadian provinces)

• Related Articles

• Agents

  Having an agent is not required to build a career in theatre, but representation can be helpful in certain contexts. The biggest benefit to having an agent is that someone else will advocate and negotiate on your behalf. This is especially helpful ...