St. John’s to acknowledge unceded Indigenous land

St. John’s city council will take a moment at the next city council meeting to acknowledge the Indigenous communities who came before those who colonized the province.

Land acknowledgements are becoming more common across Canada. They allow people to recognize the Indigenous people who lived in Canada before European settlers arrived.

In St. John’s case, the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq and Labrador Indigenous communities will be recognized in the statement, to be read before any public meetings organized by the city.

The motion was brought forward on Wednesday by Mayor Danny Breen and Deputy Mayor Sheilagh O’leary.

O’leary says it’s an important step for the city to take.

“It’s good to recognize and acknowledge. It’s long overdue. We have a lot of healing to do and these are good steps forward, I think,” said O’leary.

Memorial University adopted the same practice in 2016, also acknowledging the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq and Labrador Indigenous groups. Elsewhere, Toronto first instituted a land acknowledgement policy in 2014.

After consulting with the St. John’s Native Friendship Centre, Conne River First Nation Chief Mi’sel Joe and other Indigenous groups and advocates, O’leary and Breen jointly brought the motion forward at Wednesday’s committee of the whole meeting.

The acknowledgement was unanimously approved at that meeting, with final approval to be granted at a future city council meeting.