Reclamation, Unity, and Healing

The City of Hamilton is situated upon the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas of the Credit. This land is covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, which was an agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabek to share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. We further acknowledge that this land is covered by the Between the Lakes Purchase, 1792, between the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

We also acknowledge all Treaty peoples – including those who came here as settlers – as migrants either in this generation or in generations past and those of us who came here involuntarily, particularly forcibly displanted Africans brought here due to the TransAtlantic Slave Trade and Slavery. We pay tribute to those ancestors of African origin and descent.

Today, the City of Hamilton is home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island (North America) and we recognize that we must do more to learn about the rich history of this land so that we can better understand our roles as residents, neighbours, partners and caretakers.