Why Land Acknowledgement Matters

Acorn Avenue Consulting operates on the traditional, unceded territory of the Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) people. The Wolastoq (Saint John River) has long been a place of gathering, learning, sustenance, and connection. The relationship between the Wolastoqiyik and this land is ongoing.

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Understanding whose land we are on, and how it has been cared for over generations, is a foundational step toward respectful, ethical engagement.

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To learn more we encourage reading about the history and living presence of the Wolastoqey Nation through the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick. 

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Why This Matters in Our Work

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Early learning, career development, and education have always existed within Indigenous communities, long before formal systems, policies, or institutions were introduced through colonization. Indigenous knowledge systems hold deep wisdom about child-rearing, learning, community responsibility, and connection to land.

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At the same time, colonization has caused significant harm to Indigenous families and communities, including through education and child-focused systems. These impacts continue to be felt today.

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Acknowledging the land is one small but important way of:

• Recognizing these histories and their present-day realities

• Honouring Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination

• Creating space for learning, listening, and accountability

• Grounding our work in humility rather than assumption

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Beyond Words: A Commitment to Ongoing Learning

A land acknowledgement is not an endpoint. It does not replace action, relationship-building, or community-led decision-making. Instead, it is a reminder, both to ourselves and to those we work with, that our work takes place within a broader social, historical, and cultural context.

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At Acorn Avenue Consulting, this means:

• Approaching our work with humility and openness

• Valuing community knowledge alongside research and policy

• Being attentive to whose voices are centered, and whose may be missing

• Remaining committed to learning, unlearning, and doing better over time

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An Invitation

We invite clients, partners, and community members to reflect on their own relationships to the land they live and work on, and to consider how their roles, individually and collectively, can contribute to more equitable, respectful, and community-centered systems.

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Meaningful change is built through listening, relationship, and sustained effort. Land acknowledgement is one small part of that ongoing journey.​