Acknowledgement of Traditional Mi’kmaq Territories

We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we gather today is the traditional and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq Peoples. This territory is covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which the Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy Peoples first signed with the British Crown of King George I in 1725. These treaties did not deal with surrender of lands and resources. Instead, they recognized Mi’kmaq and Wolastiqiyik title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship of peace, friendship, and mutual respect between nations, and between nations whose modes of life, spirituality, and use of land were very different.