Indigenous Rights, Land Acknowledgements & Newcomer Relations for SPOS

This directory highlights Indigenous-led organizations across Alberta including in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, and province-wide that offer cultural programming, community services, youth supports, and opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration.  

It includes foundational documents, videos, and practical tools to foster deeper understanding and connection. 

Foundational Documents  

• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
  A foundational international document affirming Indigenous rights globally. 
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action
  94 Calls to Action outlining pathways for reconciliation in Canada. 

Land Acknowledgment Tools 

• Calgary Foundation – Treaty 7 Indigenous Ally Toolkit
  A practical guide for non-Indigenous people to understand allyship and Treaty 7 context. 
• Calgary Public Library – Children’s Land Acknowledgement & Pronunciation
  Kid-friendly resources to teach land acknowledgement and Indigenous language pronunciation. 
• University of Calgary – Treaty 7 & Land Acknowledgments
  Guidance on creating respectful, informed acknowledgements specific to Treaty 7. 
• Zhaawnong Webb – How to Create a Meaningful Land Acknowledgement (Video)
  A short, informative video on crafting acknowledgements that go beyond the script. 
• University of Alberta – Territorial Acknowledgements: Going Beyond the Script (Video)
  A deeper dive into how to make territorial acknowledgements meaningful and action-based. 

Newcomer and Indigenous Relations 

• Reciprocal Citizenship: Settling into the Responsibilities of Living on Indigenous Lands
  An article exploring the responsibilities newcomers have as settlers on Indigenous land. 
• The Role of Recent Newcomers to Canada in Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
  A research report examining how newcomers can engage in reconciliation. 
• Social Connectedness Between Indigenous Peoples & Newcomers in Canada
  Identifies current gaps and future directions for building meaningful relationships.
• Welcome to Our Homelands (7-minute video)
  A short video featuring Indigenous individuals welcoming newcomers in their traditional languages. Created by ISS of BC to foster dialogue and cultural connection.
• SAISIA Ask a Knowledge Keeper – Version with English Captions
  Interviews with three Knowledge Keepers at Wanuskewin Heritage Park, sharing guidance on how Indigenous peoples and newcomers can move forward together in a good way.
• SAISIA Ask a Knowledge Keeper – Version sous-titrée en français
  French-captioned version of the Ask a Knowledge Keeper video, supporting francophone newcomers in learning about Indigenous peoples and reconciliation.
• SAISIA Ask a Knowledge Keeper – Version with American Sign Language (ASL)
  ASL-interpreted version of the interviews to support accessibility for Deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.
• SAISIA Maria Linklater shares her residential school experience
  Elder and Knowledge Keeper Maria Linklater reflects on her residential school experience and the inter-generational impacts on her family.

If you have a resource to add, we welcome suggestions. Please email us at research@aaisa.ca.