Land Acknowledgement Action Project (Grade 5 Social Studies)

This project is intended as a culminating task for Grade 5 Social Studies – Interactions of Indigenous Peoples and Europeans prior to 1713, in What

Would Eventually Become Canada aligned with the Ontario Social Studies curriculum (Heritage and Identity).

Students will write a land acknowledgement for the land on which they currently live. They will research the Indigenous group whose traditional lands they are situated on using online sources. They will create a final poster with their written land acknowledgement and draw a picture of a natural spot near their home to which they feel a strong connection.

These posters can be displayed around school and land acknowledgements can be read by students over the morning announcements at school.

What is a Land Acknowledgement?

A land acknowledgement involves making a statement recognizing the traditional territory of the Indigenous people(s) who lived on the land before the arrival of settlers or, in many cases, who do still call the land home.

In Canada, land acknowledgements have been written and spoken as a response to the 94 calls to action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). Land acknowledgements are important because they make us aware of Indigenous presence and land rights in our daily lives.

Land acknowledgements should do more than just say words. They should also take action to help fix the problems faced by Indigenous peoples. This means working together with Indigenous communities and doing things that make a real difference.