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Land Acknowledgements at TRIUMF

TRIUMF’s foundational land acknowledgement statement:

TRIUMF is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of thexʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people, who for millennia have passed on their culture, history, and traditions from one generation to the next on this site.


TRIUMF’s home has always been a seat of learning.

Why provide a land acknowledgement?

A land acknowledgement is an opportunity to reflect upon your own relationship with the land–how does this land enable your work, provide space for learning and growth, hold space for communities, etc.? Wherever possible, make the land acknowledgement meaningful by communicating its relevance to the context of the gathering, or your own personal experience.

When to provide a land acknowledgement?

Land acknowledgements should be provided when it is meaningful to do so. While you are not required to acknowledge the land at every meeting or gathering at TRIUMF, we encourage you to reflect on when it is appropriate.

You may choose to provide a land acknowledgement at the beginning of a lecture, meeting, workshop, conference, or celebration at TRIUMF. Any acknowledgement provided should not be treated as an afterthought or a chore. Land acknowledgements are a show of respect and should be delivered with sincerity and respect.

Guidance

A land acknowledgement is an opportunity to reflect upon your own relationship with the land – how does this land enable your work, learning, growth, etc.? Wherever possible, make the land acknowledgement meaningful by communicating its relevance to the context of the gathering, or your own personal experience.

Some examples are provided below:

  • For over 50 years our lab has been able to serve as Canada’s particle accelerator centre, and we are grateful to the Musqueam for their ongoing stewardship of these lands where we work, collaborate, and discover.
  • I’m grateful to be a guest on this land that has been stewarded by the Musqueam since time immemorial.
  • As a scientist/student/engineer/technician, I am grateful for this place to learn and work, and I acknowledge the centuries of ongoing stewardship by the Musqueam people.
  • [For off-site events] Today I am joining you from the traditional territory of (First Nation name/s). I extend my gratitude to (First Nation name/s) and am humbled to be a guest on this land.

Email signature

Please consider adding the below acknowledgement beneath your email signature, per the example.

TRIUMF is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of thexʷməθkʷəy̓əm(Musqueam) people, who for millennia have passed on their culture, history, and traditions from one generation to the next on this site.

Resources