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MarshUcation: Learning at a snail's pace @ Ontario Tech University
Contact: wendy.marsh@ontariotechu.net
This blog-a-thon chronicles three parts of my journey as a grad student.
The first documents my learning at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, fondly known as Ontario Tech U. The information herein is my opinion and my understanding of Education as I have encountered it in this learned place of study.
The second outlines how I have changed and grown (and continue to evolve) from my time working with my mentor at the Institute for the Habits of Mind in California, Craig Gastauer. Craig, you have enriched my understanding of the Habits and, by extension, my life. Thank you!
The third is my adventures in writing a thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Arts in Education. This is both engaging and fulfilling. I would never have dared to dream about this learning opportunity without the prompting of my dear Rox Hayward. This work is taking inordinate amounts of time and funding. Without the support of my beloved sweetie, Peter Marsh, it wouldn't have been possible. You both have my eternal gratitude and love.
A land acknowledgment is a meaningful gesture of respect, honouring the enduring connection between Indigenous Peoples and the land where we gather, live, and learn. It invites reflection on the deep histories, cultures, and stewardship of the First Peoples who have cared for these territories over millennia.
In many Indigenous traditions, hosts welcome visitors in ways that express their connection to the land and reflect their unique cultural practices through cordial words, prayers or storytelling, while others focus instead on relationships or cultural protocols.
By offering a land acknowledgment, we honour this legacy, recognize the truths of our shared history, and affirm our commitment to reconciliation and building inclusive, respectful communities.
Land Acknowledgement - Oshawa, Ontario
I currently study at Ontario Tech University which acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. We are thankful to be welcomed on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered under the Williams Treaties and the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to a number of Indigenous nations and people.
We acknowledge these lands out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we remember the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.
This history is something we are all affected by as we are all treaty people in Canada. We have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways.
Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future. *
Land Acknowledgement - Port Charlotte, Florida
I acknowledge that I do much of my writing on the ancestral homelands of sovereign native nations, including the Tuquesta, the Calusa, and today, the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.
I pay my respects to the traditional custodians and the elders, past and present, by recognizing their sovereignty and noting the historical and contemporary relationship between Indigenous people and their traditional homelands.
I strive to better understand their rich history, their cultural practices, and their conservation of the environment. **
* Adapted from the Ontario Tech University Land Acknowledgement Statement
** Adapted from Florida International University, https://indigenous.fiu.edu/about-us/indigenous-land-acknowledgement/