Land Acknowledgement
The Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children (CREVAWC) is located on colonized lands. The Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Chonnonton peoples are the original and ongoing inhabitants. Those lands are connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.
We make this statement to counter “doctrine of discovery”, recognize Indigenous lands and sovereignty and resist the invisibilization of Indigenous Peoples.
As a Centre committed to the development and application of knowledge for the prevention of gender-based violence, we recognize that Indigenous women, girls, LGBTQIA+ and Two-Spirit people are subject to disproportionately high rates of violence. Colonization, the injustices of residential schools, the sixties scoop, birth alerts, and historic and ongoing forms of structural violence and anti-Indigenous racism are part of this violence. Colonial systems, such as heterosexuality, binary genders, and patriarchy are continually reinforced at all levels of life, and in all aspects of life. These, among other systems of oppression, including racism, ableism, classism, ageism and other forms of structural violence are built into the structure of Canada and act to privilege some, while disadvantaging and discriminating against Indigenous Peoples.
One of CREVAWC’s values is to acknowledge our privilege individually and collectively and one of CREVAWC’s principles is to strive to demonstrate our commitment to decolonization and anti-oppressive practices in our work. Some of our recent work to address gender-based violence in partnership with Indigenous Peoples:
