Land Acknowledgement
Boozhoo, Shekoli, Koolamalsi!
The London Arts Council is located within the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, Lenaapewuk, and Haudenosaunee Nations; land that is also shared by Metis, Inuit, and urban Indigenous community members. The City of London is party to the London Township Treaty of 1796 and the Longwoods Treaty of 1819.
Pre-Confederation Wampum Agreements document longstanding covenants that bind Indigenous Nations to each other through the Dish With One Spoon Wampum (G’doo-Naaganinaa) and to settler colonists by way of Kaswentha (The Two Row Wampum).
The London Arts Council acknowledges the 94 Calls to Action outlined in the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and recognizes that accountability to Truth and Reconciliation is sustainable and measurable over time. Therefore, we are committed to inclusive and equitable arts programming that promotes Indigenous representation in program design and opportunities, professional development for Indigenous artists, and ongoing relationship building with the local Indigenous community.
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To find out more about the LAC's Cultivating Allyship efforts, please email info@londonarts.ca
About the Visual Land Acknowledgement
Artist's Statement
"The Visual Land Acknowledgement artwork for the London Arts Council (LAC) illustrates the Land as a living being and the Treaty Agreements that people have placed on it.
The background is a map of London that outlines the streets and rivers. The lower part of the map design is a green-shaded area that features an overlay of a vintage map with illustrated wooded and water areas.
A red line of text is repeated to create “topography lines” over the map image. The text is a version of the LAC’s written Land Acknowledgement (as of November 2023).
The shaded area of the lower half of the map design is cut along the Deshkan Ziibi - or Antler River. This line illustrates the shared Waters and Land of the communities. The streets represent the settler community, while the green forest areas and rivers represent the Land.
These two mapping interpretations illustrate how many nations live together and share the same ever-changing Land."
Katie Wilhelm (RGD) is an award-winning designer and consultant. Based in London, Ontario, Katie is proudly Indigenous from the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation.