Moving Beyond Land Acknowledgements

Moving Beyond Land Acknowledgments: Transforming Relationships Through Relational Protocols
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission on Indian Residential Schools (TRC), the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) inquiry, and other interventions have shifted the discourse around Canada, colonialism, and Indigenous self-determination.

However, there is confusion, discomfort, and uncertainty among many people about how to effectively participate in what can be broadly called “reconciliation.” What does it mean to identify as a ‘settler Canadian’ and why does it matter for most people to try and understand settler colonialism? How can people get involved in working for equity and justice for Indigenous communities, and why should they try?

This discussion is aimed at building the knowledge and skills so that individuals, teams, and organizations can answer these and similar questions. There are no simple answers, but there are paths forward for those willing to confront the ongoing colonialism in their own lives, institutions and communities.

Indigenish Catering will be serving a light lunch

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

For more information, please contact: ataillefer@durhamchc.ca.

Location: Oshawa Library, McLaughlin Branch- 65 Debwewin Miikan (formerly Bagot Street), Oshawa, ON L1H 1N2

Meet the Speakers!

Dr. Battell Lowman

Dr. Battell Lowman, in addition to her academic contributions, is an expert in training and facilitation, team building and team ‘first aid,’ and the use of non-violent communication in affective engagements. She has worked with teams and departments in the National Health Service (NHS, UK), community health charities, and labour unions. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Warwick (UK) and an MA in History from the University of Victoria.

Dr. Adam Barker 

Dr. Barker is an internationally recognized expert on settler colonialism and decolonization. Published in numerous academic journals, he has presented his research in Australia, Sweden, the USA, France, and the UK, as well as Canada.

He is well known for work on how individuals, whether activists, academics, or otherwise, can work to undo settler colonialism in their communities. His most recent book, Making and Break Settler Space (UBC Press, 2021), presents a unified historical geography of settler colonialism in North America and critical appraisal of the successes and failures of non-Indigenous people in decolonization. He holds a PhD in Human Geography from the University of Leicester (UK) and an MA in Indigenous Governance from the University of Victoria.