Land Acknowledgement

The Canadian Centre for Safer Communities was founded in Ottawa. We acknowledge the Anishinaabe as the traditional custodians of these lands and of the Ottawa River and we thank them for their care. Ottawa is believed to be derived from adawe, which means “to trade” in Anishinaabemowin. 

As a national organization, CCFSC’s staff and board live, work, and play across the country colonially known as Canada. There are nearly 700 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities across Northern Turtle Island, from coast to coast to coast, and they have been tending these lands and waters since time immemorial.  

Why is This Here?

A land acknowledgement statement represents an act of reconciliation, honouring the land and Indigenous heritage and history that dates back thousands of years. To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory we reside on, and a way of honoring the Indigenous people who have cared for this land for thousands of years. It is important that we understand our history that has brought us to reside on the land, and to seek to understand our place within that history.

Additionally, it is crucial to recognize that a number of community safety and well-being issues disproportionately impact Indigenous communities in this country. Many of these challenges are a direct result of settler colonial violence and its ongoing systemic impact, including intergenerational trauma from colonial practices such as residential schools, forced displacement, and ongoing assimilation attempts.

As we consider the role of structural violence, racism, and discrimination in community safety, we must also critically examine how institutions are present-day extensions of historical systems of control over Indigenous peoples — for instance through policing, child welfare, housing policies, or healthcare.

CCFSC will continue to consider these systemic and structural barriers, inequities and harms when conducting work related to community safety and well-being in communities. We also commit to establishing collaborative and empowering relationships with Indigenous communities, and to address and dismantle expressions of settler colonialism appearing in our work. We are not immune to colonial processes; therefore, we commit to holding ourselves accountable and addressing harms we perpetrate as an organization.

Ancestral Acknowledgement 

CCFSC also acknowledges those who came to this land involuntarily, particularly as a result of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. We honour and pay tribute to the ancestors of African Origin and descent who also continue to live the impacts of colonization in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples.