Volunteer Toronto has the privilege to build community and work in T’karonto on the traditional lands of the Chippewa, the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of Six Nations, and more recently the Territory of Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit, part of the Anishinaabe Nation. We recognize that saviorism and colonization continue to influence how Torontonians perceive and participate in volunteerism in our society. In acknowledging this, we strive to build communities of empathy in the spirit of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Covenant, a pre-colonial agreement that encourages everyone to only take what they need, leaving enough for each other and our future generations. 

At Volunteer Toronto, we are committed to evolving our services and welcome feedback from Indigenous individuals, organizers, Friendship Centres and other collectives on fostering decolonized and anti-oppressive volunteerism as a form of community building.

Why do we acknowledge this land?

The film Acknowledgment by Jonathan Elliott tells us that when we acknowledge this land, we are “acknowledging the erasure of Indigenous history and identity.” We hope that the land acknowledgements that we deliver before our internal meetings and public events serve as a jumping-off point for our audiences to do their own research into the history of Indigenous resiliency in the face of colonial oppression. Furthermore, we hope that our land acknowledgements inspire our audiences to take action in support of reconciliation by following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.

We hope that our land acknowledgements inspire our audiences to take action in support of reconciliation by following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.