Aunty Jean
Apr 2, 2023

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These land acknowledgements are insulting. The YouTube clip shows a modern campus, and the speaker claims that the land was "ceded by the Ojibwe in an 1854 treaty" as though the native peoples just calmly handed over their ancestral lands, rather than the actual suffering and decimation of native populations that actual led to these "so-called" treaties. These acknowledgements try to assuage the guilt of those who benefitted from these cruel actions, and take the blame away from those who continue to use the land to make huge profits for their institutions. What is actually being done for the long-suffering indigenous people? An acknowledgement is worthless without action.

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Aunty Jean
Aunty Jean

Written by Aunty Jean

Constantly curious, dog-loving, politically progressive, book-loving, vegan lady. I want to keep learning every day, exploring other points of view.

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