RARITIES

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We exist on borrowed ground—on a land that remembers what we forget. These plains, rivers, and skies have witnessed lifetimes far older than ours, shaped by the enduring care of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani; the Tsuut’ina; the Stoney Nakoda—Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney—and the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3. This is a place built on agreements—Treaty 7—imperfect and unfinished. We walk among the echoes of those who kept these lands alive, stewards of memory and meaning. We acknowledge this ground not as a courtesy, but as a reckoning—with time, with history, with the uneasy privilege of calling this place home. May we learn to carry our creations, our stories, and our grief with the same care these lands have carried theirs.

We invite you to explore the living histories of these lands as continuing stories that shape us all.

Further Reflection & Learning: See whose land you’re on: Native Land Digital Map The Treaty 7 Elders’ Book: “The True Spirit and Original Intent of Treaty 7” Read: 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph – A starting point for understanding colonial impact.

— Pause, read, reflect. Our presence here carries weight.