Grade 7s told to write their own land acknowledgements, reject “ownership”
Students are taught to rethink land ownership as “stewardship” before writing custom land acknowledgements.
Ontario students are now being told to write their own “land acknowledgements” as part of a Grade 7 curriculum unit that pushes “stewardship” over “ownership” and contrasts Western ideas of “wealth” with Indigenous teachings about “collective care.”
The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board is running an “Indigenous Teachings & Land Acknowledgements” unit. The course takes students through lessons on Indigenous culture, beliefs and environmental teachings, and concludes with a final project where students write their own land acknowledgement.
Throughout the unit, students are encouraged to view the material as a moral and cultural journey.
