Glenbow celebrates art, stories, and belongings on Siksikaissksahkoyi, Blackfoot land – the ancestral territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy. Situated where the Bow and Elbow Rivers meet in Calgary, the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture is Glenbow’s home on Treaty 7 territory.
In the spirit of truth, respect, and gratitude, we acknowledge the Treaty 7 signatories, including the Blackfoot Confederacy, consisting of the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai Nations, the Îyârhe Stoney Nakoda, consisting of the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney Nations, and the Dene of the Tsuut’ina Nation.
Calgary is also homeland of the historic Northwest Métis and of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, Métis Nation Battle River Territory: Nose Hill Métis District 5 and Elbow Métis District 6.
We acknowledge the traditional names of Calgary, including Moh’kinstsis to the Blackfoot, Wîcîspa to the Stoney Nakota, Guts’ists’i to the Tsuut’ina, and Otos-kwunee to the Métis. These names describe the gathering place where stories, art, and culture have been celebrated since time immemorial. We also acknowledge all Nations – Indigenous and non – who live, work, and create on this land.
About Glenbow’s Treaty Acknowledgement
Siksikaissksahkoyi – means “Blackfoot land”
Kiitaowahsinnooni – means “your territory”
Glenbow’s revitalized home, the JR Shaw Centre for Arts & Culture, is situated in Calgary, Alberta on Treaty land and anyone living within Treaty lands is a Treaty person. This means everyone, Indigenous or not, is bound by the rights and responsibilities outlined in Treaties between Indigenous Nations and the Government of Canada.
The true spirit and intent behind the Treaties was to share resources and land and to meet one another under the principles of reciprocity, respect, and renewal. By acknowledging a Treaty, we acknowledge our responsibility toward one another.
Treaty acknowledgements are also a way to give thanks to the original caretakers of the land and affirm the importance of being good stewards so future generations can live, work, and create. This is one way Glenbow acknowledges and recognizes our role in supporting these principles.
Glenbow engaged extensively with the signatories of Treaty 7 and the Otipemisiwak Métis Government. Each Nation within Treaty 7 was consulted, with special emphasis on Blackfoot Nations in recognition of their unique and enduring history in these lands.
Treaty acknowledgements and land acknowledgements both recognize and honour the original caretakers of the land and the Indigenous Peoples who live here today. However, the difference lies in whether a Treaty was signed in the area.
On Treaty land, there is a responsibility to acknowledge the Treaty and the Nations who signed it with the Crown in the spirit of friendship and reciprocity.
In areas where no Treaty was signed, the land is considered unceded. In these cases, a land acknowledgement is used to acknowledge the traditional territories and ongoing stewardship of Indigenous Nations.
Treaty 7 Nations have affirmed this land was Blackfoot territory first. Through archaeological and cultural evidence, the Blackfoot Confederacy have established their lineage to be at least 18,000 years old – linking them to the last ice age, according to studies from the University of Montana. This history predates the arrival of other Indigenous groups in the region. Out of respect for this history, the Blackfoot have asked for their role as the earliest caretakers of the land to be acknowledged.
