Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that Knox Waterloo is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Attawandaron Peoples. We seek a renewed relationship with our neighbours, one that is based on honour and deep respect. We give thanks for the ability to gather, work and worship here.

The sacred land on which Knox Waterloo is situated has been home to various Indigenous Peoples for thousands of years. The Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Attawandaron People sought to walk gently on this land. Knox is situated on the Haldimand Tract – six miles of land on either side of the entire length of the Grand River – which was given by the British to the Six Nations as compensation for their role in the American Revolutionary War of Independence and for the loss of their traditional territory. Of the original 950,000 acres, only 46,000 acres (less than 5%) remains Six Nations land today.

Beginning in the 19th century and continuing until the late 1960s, the Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC) partnered with the Government of Canada in running Indian Residential Schools. It is clear that these schools, in policy and practice, were an assault on Indigenous families, culture, language and spiritual traditions, and that great harm was done.

The Confession of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (1994) seeks forgiveness from our Aboriginal neighbours. We continue to lament and regret our part in that legacy.

We cannot change the past, but we continue to share in the work of healing and reconciliation, respectfully following the leadership of Indigenous communities and leaders.

Adopted by Knox Waterloo on April 25, 2017