Acknowledgment of Traditional Territory

The University of Alberta is home to a diverse and welcoming community of over 1,900 Indigenous students from across the country, and Edmonton has the second-largest Indigenous population of any city in Canada. We celebrate our Indigenous heritage, including the ancestral lands on which our university campuses are located today, and we are proud to be the only university in Canada with a Faculty of Native Studies.

To acknowledge the traditional territory is to recognize its longer history, reaching beyond colonization and the establishment of European colonies, as well as its significance for the Indigenous peoples who lived and continue to live upon these lands, and whose practices and spiritualities were tied to the land and continue to develop in relationship with the land and its other inhabitants today.

The following statement acknowledges traditional territories on which the University of Alberta resides. All U of A conferences and public events held on our campuses are opened with an acknowledgment, and an acknowledgement may be included as part of written U of A documents such as websites, brochures or papers. Instructors may also wish to use an acknowledgement during the first class of the semester, or include an acknowledgement in their course outlines, as a sign of respect, to and commitment to the rich history of these lands.

Territorial Acknowledgment

English

"The University of Alberta, its buildings, labs and research stations are primarily located on the territory of the Néhiyaw (Cree), Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Métis, Nakoda (Stoney), Dene, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and Anishinaabe (Ojibway/Saulteaux), lands that are now known as part of Treaties 6, 7 and 8 and homeland of the Métis. The University of Alberta respects the sovereignty, lands, histories, languages, knowledge systems and cultures of all First Nations, Métis and Inuit nations."

Français

"L'Université de l'Alberta, ses édifices, laboratoires et centres de recherche sont principalement situés sur le territoire des Néhiyaw (Cris), Niitsitapi (Pieds-Noirs), Métis, Nakoda (Stoney), Dénés, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) et Anishinaabe (Ojibway/Saulteaux), des terres qui sont maintenant connues comme faisant partie des Traités 6, 7 et 8 et de la terre des Métis. L'Université de l'Alberta respecte la souveraineté, les terres, les récits, les langues, les systèmes de connaissance et les cultures de toutes les Premières nations, des Métis et des Inuits".

Other statements of territorial acknowledgment can also be used at the discretion of individuals and units. University of Alberta's Centre for Teaching and Learning has some resources developed by faculty and staff for creating territorial acknowledgements.

This statement was developed for Braiding Past, Present, Future: University of Alberta's Indigenous Strategic Plan.

When using the statement in print documents do not add any graphic elements or icons. The statements should appear in text form only.

Pronunciation guide:

  • Métis (May-tea)
  • Nakota Sioux (Nah-koh-tah Soo)
  • Haudensosaunee (Hoh-de-noh-SHOH-nee)
  • Dene (Deh-nay)
  • Ojibway (Oh-jib-way)
  • Saulteaux (Soh-toe)
  • Anishinaabe (Ah-nish-i-nah-bay)