We would like to acknowledge the aboriginal land in Ontario that has been inhabited by Indigenous peoples from the beginning. As settlers, we're grateful for the opportunity to meet here and we thank all the generations of people who have taken care of this land — for thousands of years.
Long before today, there have been aboriginal peoples who have been the stewards of this place, and in particular, we acknowledge the traditional territory of the Attawandaron, Haudenosaunee and Anishnabeg. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and directly adjacent to the Haldimand Treaty territory. We recognize and deeply appreciate their historic connection to the land in Ontario.
We also recognize the contributions that Métis, Inuit, and other Indigenous peoples have made in shaping and strengthening both this community in particular, and our province and country as a whole. As settlers, this recognition of the contributions and historic importance of Indigenous peoples must also be clearly and overtly connected to our collective commitment to make the promise and the challenge of Truth and Reconciliation real in our communities.
As we walk/hike across the land, we will reflect on the Indigenous people who have walked here before and we will commit to trying to reach out, engage with and invite Indigenous people in the area where we hike to participate and share their stories of the place in an effort to help us learn and grow together.