Unceded land

During my recent trip to Vancouver I attended five screenings at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF). The films were good – I especially enjoyed Lucky, the actor Harry Dean Stanton’s last movie (he died in September); and You’re Soaking in It, a disturbing Canadian-produced documentary about data-driven advertising – but what most impressed me about the festival didn’t appear on the screen. It was, instead, a 32-word statement read by a presenter before each screening.

When I returned home I emailed VIFF to get the precise wording of the statement. Here it is:

First we would like to acknowledge that we are on the unceded Indigenous land belonging to the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, Stolo, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

Five films, five readings, each exactly the same except for one ad-lib when the presenter looked up after “unceded” and commented: “I guess we aren’t yet allowed to say stolen.”

Now, I attend film festivals pretty regularly here in the Bay Area, which is also – like much of these United States – unceded Indigenous land. Has anyone ever acknowledged that fact here? Not even once. Not even at the most politically astute events.

Between screenings, and after I left Vancouver, I thought a lot about that word unceded. Its root, cede, has a legal meaning: to yield or grant, especially by means of a treaty. This Vancouver land hadn’t been ceded. It had been taken long ago by British colonizers. Stolen.

I asked the VIFF organizers how this acknowledgment came about. Was it unique to VIFF? The response was prompt and clear:

It is quite common in Vancouver for organizations to publicly acknowledge that they are on unceded land belonging to the Coast Salish peoples, particularly arts, culture, and educational organizations. This is part of Canada’s ongoing reconciliation with the First Nations peoples. VIFF believes in the importance of this reconciliation. This is the first year that VIFF has made this acknowledgment before each screening, but we are actually latecomers to this practise, as other local film festivals and live event exhibitors have been doing it for quite a few years now. 

Repeating an acknowledgment about unceded land and the people who refused to cede it – five, 50, or 500 times – will not change history. But it makes an impression that lingers and deepens. It changes the way you look at your surroundings, the way you think about how you and your forebears got here, the way you think about what you owe to those who came long before. For the institutions that commit to the acknowledgment, it’s a powerful form of branding – of communicating character and purpose. It’s a step away from the spotlight, which is an unusual and admirable thing for a film festival to do, when you think about it.

It’s not a solution. But it’s a start.

 

Comments

[Bob Chapman]

While I'm not saying that everything was done ethically in the US--it wasn't--but I'm not so sure the term "unceded" applies in the US. For example, the Point Elliot Treaty did establish that various Native peoples vast stretches of land in return for reservations. I'm not saying that there were always fair choices, but those treaty rights are beginning to be upheld more and more by the courts. We may find out one day how long the rivers actually run in the US.

Canada is different. Vancouver, BC, has an example at the south end of the Burrard Street Bridge. The Squamish were forced from a settlement that they had there--no treaty was ever signed. That has resulted in a court case giving the Squamish First Nation some prime real estate.

They are trying to write treaties in Canada now for all the unceded land. After the boarding schools, I'm sure the First Nations are not making the negotiations very easy.

[Rosalba Stocco]

My understanding is that both Canada and the USA have lands that have not been ceded, both countries have treaties that are not being honored, both countries have treaties whereby the courts are upholding treaties. My guess is that there are few if any treaties that have been fair. Perhaps that is why both countries are experiencing a backlash against immigration and refugees. Afterall the first immigrants and refugees (also known as the settlers and colonizers) insisted that the original inhabitants of this land assimilate into the European culture and religious customs. Usually, when people move into a new country they adopt the language and customs of the new country. When the original settlers and colonizers came to Canada, USA, Mexico and South America, they came like a virus and took over everything. They conquered. It appears that many countries are now fearing that the original pattern, that is the original sin that was done to the first inhabitants of their lands will repeat. This is the original trauma that is asking to be healed. I happen to be an immigrant, who settled in Ontario, Canada in 1957 at the age of 5. I wonder what the karma is for the descendants of original settlers and mine under these circumstances? I also wonder what the karma would be if all treaties were not only honoured but also fairly renegotiated?

[Ema Oropeza]

I got this blog through Deborah F, and I am very happy to read your reflection, I am an un-invited guest in this land recently named "Vancouver".
I try to spread the word everywhere about the importance of expanding our consciousness and express our gratitud to the First People and the Land Keepers. My hope is that with people like you USA people start to incorporate in their heart and public life this act of acknowledgement and sincere desire for reconciliation.
Thank you,

Ema Alicia Oropeza

[Neil Gallaiford]

Every day the children in Toronto schools hear the following announcement:

“I would like to acknowledge that this school is situated upon traditional territories. The territories
include the Wendat (wen-dat), Anishinabek (ah-nish-nah-bek) Nation, the Haudenosaunee
(ho-den-oh-sho-nee) Confederacy, the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nations, and the Métis
(may-tee) Nation.
The treaty that was signed for this particular parcel of land is collectively referred to as the Toronto Pur-
chase and applies to lands east of Brown’s Line to Woodbine Avenue and north towards Newmarket.
I also recognize the enduring presence of Aboriginal peoples on this land.”

There will be a whole generation of children who grow up having heard this acknowledgement their whole lives. I think that's great.