White Settler Blog
Talking treaties, terminology, family history, land, white privilege, colonialism, and more …
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Sweater Vests & Saying Sorry
So I’m supposed to be talking about Land Acknowledgements: Are they a cop out, or are they a starting place, a way to begin learning about the land? But somehow I’ve gone and purchased a blue sweater vest at Value Village and I’m hoping I remind you of Stephan Harper … hearkening back to that…
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It’s Not Green Electricity
I realized I can’t understand and acknowledge ONLY the land where my ancestors were settled, like just the Nutfield Tract. Land doesn’t stand in isolation. The Akswesasne Territory is as much made up of water as it is land, and the St. Lawrence river plays a key role. That’s why the Akwesasne Nation never…
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Minnows eating my stinky feet
After walking around the St Regis Reservation and feeling like an idiot, I went down to the St Regis (Akwesasne) River. It was hot, I took my shoes and socks off. The minnows went nuts eating the stink off my feet. I sat there wondering if Robert Colquhoun had ever stuck his feet in this…
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Land Acknowledgement for the Nutfield Tract
An Acknowledgment in Four Parts – PREAMBLE: I was told that a traditional Land Acknowledgement could, would … possibly even should take 2 or 3 days because you need to thank every blade of grass, every tree, every dandelion, every seed … all the places those seeds may go to grow. As a visitor to…