Visitors to the Waubaushene Pine Street Park will soon be able to take a step toward truth and reconciliation with a land acknowledgement that a local group wants placed in the public area.
Two area residents, Sharon Langfield and Peter Cox, brought the idea to the Talpines Property Owners' Association, which felt it would tie in well with the Healing Path panel painted by students on the opposite side of the park's entrance.
Langfield and Cox, who will be paying for the sign, were moved to propose the idea after attending Truth and Reconciliation roundtable meetings held in Simcoe County.
"The roundtable has given Peter and I the opportunity to listen to Indigenous voices in the community," Langfield said addressing council at a recent committee meeting, during which the group sought permission to place the sign on the municipal property.
"Many of the Indigenous youth, who have been speaking at the meeting, are wondering why there are so many historical monuments telling the story of the European settlement of the area.
"Recognition of the long Indigenous history seems to be lacking," she added. "We were encouraged by elder John Rice, who was part of the roundtable, to take a step toward reconciliation no matter how small."
Then the two contacted Jeff Monague, who is an elder, knowledge keeper, as well as former chief of Beausoleil First Nation.
"We asked him to advise us on the wording for a land acknowledgement sign," said Langfield.
In a conversation with MidlandToday, Monague said, he has worked on a number of land acknowledgements in the area.
But he doesn't work on the wording itself, he added, he only helps develop it.
"It's not really my acknowledgement; it's their acknowledgement," said Monague. "I always make it a practice that they're the ones that come up with the wording in the end. I'm there to help with any kind of education."
Cox read out the wording their group had developed.
"We acknowledge that Canada was established on the traditional territories of the Indigenous Nations and in particular, the Anishinaabeg, Wendaat, and Haudenosaunee, and we acknowledge their enduring presence on this land."
He added a land acknowledgement sign is an opportunity for everyone to take a small but important step toward reconciliation and provide a small measure of visibility for Indigenous peoples in this area.
All of council was in support of the idea.
"This is an excellent initiative," said Coun. Jeff Bumstead. "I want to thank you for taking the leadership to do so. I didn't learn about our Canadian history until college and university. Serving on Culture Alliance, I still see the challenges our neighbour Beausoleil First Nation faces. Thank you for your leadership on this."
Coun. Paul Raymond, who was also in support of the proposal, had a question.
"Pardon my ignorance in this matter," he said, "are the Métis people covered in one of the names mentioned here?"
Langfield offered to confer with Monague about it.
He told MidlandToday that the Métis should be acknowledged for their presence in the area, adding, "If the acknowledgement is for this territory, the Métis don't have a land base in the area.
"They did come to this area, it's a historical fact," Monague said. "However, they're not really rights holders on the territory."
Taking steps such as this, he said, helps move along the reconciliation process.
"As long as people are talking about reconciliation and tying it in with the TRC 94 calls to action," said Monague. "If you don't do that, you're not doing anything toward reconciliation at all."
The move, he said, will also help Indigenous youth feel a sense of ownership of the land.
"We've been basically ostracized and dispossessed from our traditional territory," said Monague. "In it's way, it does acknowledge that we still have a presence here."
Victoria Réaume, a Talpines board member, said the group was thrilled by council's support.
"We were inspired by Sharon and Peter and their idea and generosity," she said, adding they're aiming to have the sign up by the end of June or early July. "We hope to have a smudging ceremony when the sign is installed."
Council will approve a motion to that effect at a future meeting.
