Land Acknowledgements and commitments
North Forge is located on Treaty One Territory and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. These are sacred and storied lands, rich with history, ceremony, and relationship. We honour the Anishinaabeg, Anisininew, Ininiwak/Nehethowuk, Oceti Sakowin/Dakota Oyate, and Michif (Métis) Peoples as the original caretakers of this land. It is also a place of deep significance for the Denesuline and Inuit Peoples who call this place home.
With gratitude and reciprocity, we recognize the songs, stories, teachings, and knowledge systems rooted in these lands. The Treaties were entered into in good faith, as agreements to share, not surrender, the land. But many of the promises made, especially those understood through oral negotiation, were not reflected in the written documents, and even the written commitments have often been broken.
What followed was a legacy of harm: displacement, cultural genocide, and forced assimilation through policies such as the Indian Act and the residential school system. These injustices continue to affect Indigenous Peoples and communities today through ongoing systems of marginalization and inequity.
We also acknowledge that the water sustaining us comes from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, in Treaty Three Territory, and that much of our electricity is generated on Treaty Five Territory in Northern Manitoba. These connections remind us that our relationship with the land is ongoing, and that our comfort is often built on the displacement and dispossession of Indigenous communities.
As a not-for-profit innovation hub, North Forge recognizes its responsibility to listen, learn, and act. We are committed to respectfully supporting Indigenous cultural identities and integrity by incorporating Indigenous knowledges and leadership into our programming, governance, and community relationships. We will challenge settler colonialism and systemic racism by acknowledging the legacy of broken promises and rebuilding relationships rooted in respect and trust.
This land acknowledgement is not a static statement, but a living commitment. Our journey of reconciliation is ongoing and evolving. North Forge commits to walking this path with humility, guided by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
We honour the spirit and intent with which Indigenous Nations entered into Treaty agreements. We acknowledge our shared responsibility to uphold those agreements and to work toward a future grounded in truth, equity, and collaboration.