Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that the Animal Welfare Centres operated by the Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth are situated on the traditional territory of the Indigenous peoples. As settlers, we are grateful for the opportunity to meet here and we thank all the generations of people who have taken care of this land - for thousands of years. The Indigenous peoples' environmental advocacy and deep knowledge of the natural world inspires us to live in harmony with the animals in our communities.

"The animal world taught man how to live close to the earth, and the connection that has been established between the animal world and that of man has instilled a respect for all life in those who follow the traditional Indigenous way." - adapted from Indigenous teachings.

Today many Indigenous peoples continue to call this land home and act as its stewards, and this responsibility extends to all peoples, to share and care for this land for generations to come.

The Kitchener Centre

The Kitchener Centre is located on the Haldimand Tract. After the American Revolution, the tract was granted by the British to the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation as compensation for their role in the war and for the loss of their traditional lands in upstate New York. Of the 950,000 acres granted to the Haudenosaunee, less than 5 percent remains Six Nations land. Only 6,100 acres remain Mississaugas of the Credit land. We thank the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Neutral peoples for hosting us on their land.

The Stratford Centre

The Stratford Centre is located on territory governed by two treaties. The first is the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant of 1701, made between the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an agreement to set violence aside and peacefully share and care for the land in the Great Lakes Basin. The second is the Huron Tract Treaty of 1827, an agreement made by eighteen Anishinaabek Chiefs and the Canada Company, an agency of the British Crown.

In 2015 The Truth and Reconciliation Commission released a document offering 94 'Calls to Action' to advance the process of Canadian reconciliation. We encourage you to become familiar with this document.