Land Acknowledgement

Career Edge Lennox and Addington operates in the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Mississauga, Algonquin and Huron-Wendat. We recognize their continued connection to this land. We also acknowledge that we are all grateful stewards of the land, and we are obligated to advance reconciliation with these and all other First Nations, Inuit and Metis in the work we do every day. The development of this land acknowledgement is the product of an agency-wide initiative in learning and reflection. As education is one of the key pillars of reconciliation, we are learning, and we encourage you to do the same.

Indigenous Peoples see the land as a gift to them from The Creator. This special connection is based on thankfulness, stewardship and responsibility. This connection remains despite concerted institutional efforts to undermine and erase it over nearly half a millennium; the land can be shared, but it can never be taken away. Further, it must be respected and protected because the land sustains us all.

Reconciliation is also about the development of partnerships and relationships. There is a relationship between people as well as the land that needs to be redeveloped. We recognize that Indigenous Peoples have a unique link to the land which constitutes what is now Canada. They have shared this land with us, and for that we are thankful. To show our gratitude, we are obligated to use this land in ways that honour those who came before as well as those who will follow us. In doing so, we can slowly help bring healing to what has been, for far too long, an unspeakably tragic relationship.

From broken treaties to residential schools, from forced relocations to boil water advisories, Indigenous Peoples have been, at best, failed by ignorance and indifference, and at worst, victims of genocide. For decades, governments and institutions have attempted to erase Indigenous Peoples from Canada. We must acknowledge that this happened in order to start down the path to reconciliation.

To begin to undo that injustice, we must also acknowledge this generational trauma and commit to continuing the dismantling of destructive colonial structures that have robbed Indigenous Peoples from enjoying the full prosperity of this land. Career Edge, which is dedicated to helping individuals reach their employment goals, is well-positioned to play a positive role in this regard. This is an ongoing process that will require a deeper examination for our agency and, ideally, our fellow residents of this part of Turtle Island.