Putting action behind land acknowledgments: Opinion

Postsecondary institutions need to ensure that they are putting action behind their land acknowledgments, writes Western University Political Science Professor Christopher Alcantara. Alcantara argues that though it is now common for institutions to use land acknowledgments, some Indigenous voices have criticized institutions for not putting their words to action. The author says meaningful reconciliation could mean paying rent or making a financial gift to the Indigenous communities displaced by universities, requesting formal permission before bringing in guest speakers, or waiving tuition for Indigenous students from the communities. “It’s time for universities to either honour the commitments made in their land acknowledgements, or to drop them altogether and acknowledge that they are in fact deeply colonial institutions incapable of meaningful reconciliation,” writes Alcantara. Policy Options Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.