Land Acknowledgement

Learning Target OR Standards & Connections
Essential Outcomes(s) Level(s)
Students will…

  • Explore the language around Indigenous peoples and First Nations, primary source documents, and Land Acknowledgement
  • Examine the treaties on which they live and learn
  • Create their own recorded SoundScape to act as a Land Acknowledgement using Soundtrap
 Can be differentiated for all levels
Activity/Project
  1. Minds On Discussion: How does the land show up for you? How do you show up for the land? How can we be in relationship with the land? 
  2. Students will listen to the following recorded Soundscape Land Acknowledgement shared by Emily Burgis of York Region District School Board in Canada.
  3. Students will respond as a large group, in written format, or virtually to the thinking prompts: What do you notice? What do you wonder?
  4. Have students learn about Land Acknowledgement and critiques of Land Acknowledgement. Discuss key findings as a large group.  
  5. Have students research both the Land they are learning on as well as any treaties that exist or may have been broken. Encourage students to visit the tribe’s websites to learn more about the peoples before drafting their land acknowledgement.
  6. Students will write a script for their own land acknowledgement with the information they have researched or adapt the acknowledgement from their school.
  7. Students will begin building the Soundscape around the audio track. Option to explore the concept of Soundscapes with students. Teacher will share a blank Soundtrap assignment for students. Option to explore the land surrounding the school and capture sound clips. 
  8. Students will open the assignment, create a new Voice Track and record their Land Acknowledgement.
  9. After recording their Land Acknowledgement, students may record the sounds of the land or create an original Soundscape piece. Remind students to be mindful of any cultural appropriation. To understand the difference between appreciation and appropriation, please review this EdWeek piece.
  10. As an exit ticket, have students write actionable steps, both words and actions that they may take to both honor and learn more about the Indigenous communities where they live.
Extended Learning
  1. How might Land Acknowledgements support inclusive classroom culture and SEL initiatives? 
  2. Every day when class begins, the teacher/school may play a student’s Land Acknowledgement recording.
  3. You may also use this lesson plan or this Native Land unit plan as you teach Land Acknowledgements. Here are more lessons about Indigenous People and their culture.

 

Transcript, shared by Emily Burgis from York Region District School Board in Canada:

“As a guest and settler on Turtle Island, I would like to start by acknowledging that we are connecting virtually today on our spaces on land that has been shared with us, so that we may work and learn together in the service of students who attend our schools.

These schools are on the traditional territories of the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe peoples, whose presence in this space continues to this day.

Second, we would also like to acknowledge the Treaty lands negotiated as the Williams Treaty and Treaty 13 and thank the signatory nations respectively for sharing this land with us. We invite you to learn about the treaty land that you live on and think about the ways and actions that you can take to uphold these treaty agreements.

We would also like to extend a hand of partnership to the Chippewas at Georgina Island, who are our closest First Nation and our partners in education, chi-miigwech.”

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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