Council to acknowledge First Nations at meetings

It was an acknowledgement long overdue, according to Lethbridge’s mayor.

Prior to the start of the regular meeting of city council on Monday, Mayor Chris Spearman recognized the meeting was taking place on traditional First Nations land.

“The City of Lethbridge acknowledges that we are gathered on the lands of the Blackfoot people of the Canadian plains,” Spearman said. “And pays respect to the Blackfoot people past, present and future, while recognizing and respecting their cultural heritage, beliefs and relationship to the land.

“The City of Lethbridge is also home to the Métis nation of Alberta, Region 3.”

This is the first time the acknowledgement has been formally read prior to the start of a city council meeting. Moving forward, the acknowledgement will be made prior to every council meeting.

At a Reconciliation Lethbridge meeting last Thursday, it was decided an acknowledgement would be one way to make council meetings more inclusive.

“They said it would be very good if council meetings began with that acknowledgement,” Spearman said. “It would make them feel respected and included.”

Spearman said it was felt an immediate response would show the committee is being heard.

“For them to make that request, it just seemed like a simple thing to do,” he said. “Why can’t we begin every meeting with an acknowledgement that we are on Blackfoot territory?

“We could have waited until Aboriginal Day in June, but why not start now?”

Spearman said the acknowledgement shows the City has not forgotten its response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

“We acknowledge that harm was done and that we can do better,” he said.

This is not the first instance of recognition by the City.

“Last year, we raised the Reconciliation flag, and we raised the Blackfoot flag for the first time,” Spearman said.

While the acknowledgement is a common opening for political events and public announcements, Spearman said it is also appropriate for city council meetings.

“The most significant and most important meeting that we have is our city council meeting, where we talk about civil government,” said Spearman. “It’s overdue.”

Follow @JWSchnarrHerald on Twitter