Land Acknowledgement
We embrace our shared responsibility with the First Nations Peoples, to take care of this Earth and its creatures; we can only do so by walking the path as partners stewarding this land as we have been given the duty together to live in balance and harmony with all living things.
We acknowledge and respect the Anishinaabe, Chonnonton and Haudenosuanee peoples who came before us and who we live amongst. By honouring this truth of past and present may we come to true reconciliation through listening, reflecting and learning.
In 2015, Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its findings and 94 Calls to Action to redress the residential school’s legacy and advance the reconciliation process in Canada. The Calls to Action are directed at all levels of government, the private sector and to Canadians as a whole.
The City of Cambridge is working towards the Truth & Reconciliation Calls to Action and collaborating with municipal partners in our approach.
In September 2021, council approved a report that identified our next steps in reconciliation including:
- Rental-related fees associated with use of municipal space for Indigenous cultural and ceremonial events be suspended year-round until such policy is considered by Council;
- Continue in a coordinated approach working with the inter-municipal Reconciliation Action Plan Work Group to develop a Reconciliation Action Plan
The City acknowledges that reconciliation is an intentional, ongoing lifelong process that requires the efforts of staff at all levels. Staff continue to work towards reconciliation through Indigenous-led learning opportunities, internal and external communication, and meaningful relationship building.
Reconciliation Action Partnership Group
The City is committed to reconciliation and understands that true reconciliation requires action.
By taking an active role in sharing the responsibility of reconciliation, the City actively participates in the Reconciliation Action Partnership group which is a collaborative group of municipal representatives working to coordinate efforts to support Indigenous-centered initiatives across Waterloo Region. Municipalities have the opportunity and responsibility to contribute to reconciliation with Indigenous communities, as this work connects land, people and governance. In addition to the RAP group, there are six RAP sub-committees working to achieve coordinated direction, based on the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and on the Calls to Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Sub-committees include:
- Governance
- Communications
- Honorarium and Reciprocity
- Learning and Development
- Relationship Building and Community Engagement
- Space Needs
This work is intended to improve and enhance service delivery to Indigenous Peoples in Waterloo Region, identify changes to existing policies, programs, and processes of the City that could be implemented to eliminate barriers, develop respectful relationships with Indigenous communities to meaningfully support Indigenous-led work and build a more inclusive community and municipal workplace.
