At Cohesia, we recognize that the success of our programs and initiatives, our team, our network, are made possible by the physical space offered by the territories of the nations: it is on this space that indispensable connections are established both in person and at a distance.

Our headquarters is located on the ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. This territory is covered by the Peace and Friendship Treaties, originally signed in 1725 by the Wolastoqey (Maliseet), Mi’kmaq and Peskotomuhkati peoples and the British Crown. The treaties were not intended to deal with the cession of land and resources but rather to recognize Wolastoqey (Maliseet), Mi’kmaq and Peskotomuhkati title and also to establish the rules for the long-term relationship between the nations.

We also recognize that our work has an impact on lands that are still home to many First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

We recognize that these lands carry a scarred history of policies of expulsion and assimilation of Aboriginal peoples, implemented at the time of colonization and Confederation, which still have an impact today. We recognize that these same policies led to our being able to live and work on these lands. And we are grateful for the care that Aboriginal peoples have taken of these lands and the way they continue to be their stewards. We are therefore humbled by our commitment to work towards a future that respects Indigenous Peoples in a spirit of equity, diversity and inclusion. We are committed to amplifying their voices, and to combating all forms of racism and oppression against them.

Each member of our team is actively involved in training and awareness sessions on the history of colonization, its impacts, reconciliation, and the Aboriginal cultures that shape Canada. We take care to listen to our Aboriginal board members and colleagues; we engage in courageous conversations and are always committed to reconciliation.

Our work at Cohesia is multi-generational and long-term. We are committed to creating deep connections with our land and with Indigenous communities in an intentional and lifelong process that we will share. In this context, here are some of the resources that have accompanied our journey so far:

• Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
• Some resources for practicing land recognition
• Indigenous Peoples and Lands
• “Native-Land (En)
• “Whose Land (En)