I acknowledge with deep respect and gratitude that I live and work on the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the
Algonquin Anishnaabeg Peoples.
As a settler on Anishnaabeg land and a British descendent, I am committed to doing the hard work to make Canada a more equitable country. I have had the privilege to learn from First Nation, Inuit and Metis friends, colleagues, speakers, Elders and artists. People who have graciously shared the stories of their families and ancestors. I am committed to keep learning and doing better than my own ancestors.
I am committed: To use my privilege to amplify the voices of Indigenous Peoples. To make space for Indigenous peoples. To recognize and call out racism. To raise my daughters to do better than my generation. To donate a part of my earnings to support Indigenous organizations. To ground myself and my business in the teachings of the Seven Grandfathers: the values of love, respect, bravery, trust, honesty, humility and wisdom.
I WILL BE A BETTER ANCESTOR
As a part of my own commitment to reconciliation, I am donating a portion of my earnings to the Assembly of Seven Generations: a local Indigenous-owned and youth-led, non-profit organization focused on cultural support and empowerment programs for Indigenous youth.
I am also a monthly donor to Indspire, a national Indigenous charity that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people to not only benefit these individuals, their families and communities, but to make Canada better as a whole. In the words of the great Justice Murray Sinclair: “Education is the key to reconciliation. Education is what got us into this mess, and education is what will get us out.”
“We also have to talk about reconciliation at the personal, and family and community level. That is where true change will occur, for it is in our daily lives where we seek and, hopefully, find peace… it is in our daily conversations and interactions that our success as a nation in forging a better place, will ultimately be measured. ”
-The Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair