Land acknowledgement workshop

• Who to invite. Executive, education committee, stewards who open meetings — the whole local owns this, not one Indigenous member asked to educate everyone.
• What to bring. Printed territory maps, your federation PDF, one printed worksheet per person; the download button is in the Handout section below, and a way to project Native-Land.ca or Whose Land.
• How to set up the room. Tables or a circle, low pressure. Pairs or small groups draft; no one has to read aloud unless they choose to.
• Close with a date. Book executive adoption, name who reads at the next meeting, and one concrete follow-up action before people leave.

1. 1. Opening

   ~10 min

   Do this

   Listen to ground rules: no copy-paste scripts, defer to Indigenous leadership, words need action. Share one reason this matters to your local.

   Facilitator

   Project the Land Acknowledgement Guide ground rules. One round of why — keep it short. If the room is large, note that pairs will draft later.

2. 2. Research together

   ~25 min

   Do this

   Note nations, treaties, and spellings for where you meet. List questions for Friendship Centres or band offices.

   Facilitator

   Project Native-Land.ca or Whose Land. Compare your federation guide. Capture spellings on a board. Remind the room maps are introductions, not final authority.

3. 3. Draft in pairs

   ~25 min

   Do this

   Write a short draft on the worksheet ruled lines — territory first, then one local action or historical thread.

   Facilitator

   Hand out PDFs. Split into pairs. Circulate; if someone is unsure, pause and suggest consulting your union's Indigenous Circle before finalizing.

4. 4. Review and commit

   ~20 min

   Do this

   Optional read-backs. Run the review checklist. Help pick one draft path and name owners.

   Facilitator

   Optional share-outs only. Run checklist aloud. Assign executive review date, first reader, and one concrete action before people leave.

1. Confirm the executive review or adoption date.
2. Name who reads the acknowledgement at the next meeting.
3. Pick one concrete local follow-up action.
4. Bookmark the Land Acknowledgement Guide for the Niagara example and federation sources.

Facilitator

If no one volunteers to read, assign a settler officer — do not default to the only Indigenous member in the room.