Indigenous Services would like to acknowledge the history of the Indigenous territory in which Western University operates. We would also like to respect the longstanding relationships of the three local First Nations groups of this land and place in Southwestern Ontario.
The Attawandaran (Neutral) peoples once settled this region alongside the Algonquin and Haudenosaunee peoples, and used this land as their traditional beaver hunting grounds.
The three current and longstanding Indigenous groups of this geographic region are:
- The Anishinaabe (also referred to as the Three Fires Confederacy including; Ojibwe, Odawa, and Bodéwadmi Nations);
- The Haudenosaunee (also known as the Iroquoian people or Six Nations including Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscorora);
- The Lenape (also referred to as the Delaware and/or Munsee).
The three First Nations communities closest in proximity to Western University are:
- Chippewa of the Thames First Nation (Anishinaabe)
- Oneida Nation of the Thames (Haudenosaunee)
- Munsee-Delaware Nation (Lenape)
Performing a Land Acknowledgement
We encourage the non-Indigenous community at Western University and in the London community to share in the work of acknowledging the land and recognizing the original people of Turtle Island (North America), not only from a regional view but also from a local and personal standpoint.
An acknowledgement is given to show respect, reciprocity, and ally-ship to the Indigenous peoples whose land we share. It does not always require an Indigenous representative to be present. When contemplating whether to invite a representative, please consider the intent of your event and reach out to Indigenous partners when you have questions.
Example of the phonetic pronunciation of the local and regional Indigenous groups are: