Valoriem:Affirmation of Unceded Territory
We acknowledge that the servers powering this directory are located on the unceded lands of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation, one of the founding Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. This territory, in what is now called Beauharnois, Quebec, has long been a place of meeting, exchange, and stewardship.
As an online platform, we recognize that our contributors, users, and supporters live and work on many different Indigenous territories — including lands that remain unceded, lands governed by historical treaties, and lands where Indigenous sovereignty has never been formally recognized.
We acknowledge that colonialism is a global structure, not just a historical event. Indigenous peoples around the world continue to steward their lands, assert their rights, and preserve cultural knowledge in the face of systemic injustice. We affirm their inherent sovereignty and the importance of listening to and learning from their leadership.
This acknowledgement is only a first step. We are committed to:
- Honouring Indigenous sovereignty, perspectives, and knowledge systems
- Ensuring our platform includes accurate, respectful information about Indigenous communities and businesses
- Remaining open to critique, dialogue, and collaboration with Indigenous contributors
- Encouraging users to learn about the Indigenous nations whose territories they inhabit
We invite everyone engaging with this platform to explore the Indigenous histories, treaties, and present-day realities of the land they are on. One starting point is Native-Land.ca, an interactive map created by Indigenous and non-Indigenous collaborators to support this learning.
