Our Team

I am privileged to live, work, and play on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, and land that is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.

Living near the shores of Lake Ontario, I am reminded of all those that have come before me in walking on this land and enjoying these waters, and the responsibility to protect these beautiful resources for generations yet to come.

I am honored and grateful to live and work in Gatineau, Quebec. Gatineau is located on the unceded territory of the Algonquin, an Anishinaabe people who have occupied the entire Ottawa watershed for thousands of years. I pay my respect to elders, both past and present.

“I would like to acknowledge that my home is situated on lands covered by Treaty 13 and the Williams Treaties. Over several centuries, Richmond Hill has been traversed by many First Nations and is currently home to Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island.” These treaties have been signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the First Nations of the Williams Treaties who are: the Mississaugas of Alderville, Curve Lake, Hiawatha, Scugog Island; and the Chippewas of Beausoleil, Rama, and Georgina Island who is our closest neighbour and partner. To honour this agreement I will take up my responsibility to be respectful of their traditions, knowledge and inherent rights as sovereign nations. I will respect their relationship with these lands and recognize that our connection to this land is through the continued relationship with these First Nations, and I acknowledge my shared responsibility to respect and care for the land and waters for future generations.​

I acknowledge that the land that I am working on today is the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishinabek, Haudenosaunee, and Wendat peoples. This territory is under Treaty 13, which was signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit in 1805, and the Williams Treaties, which were signed by several Mississaugas and Chippewa bands in 1923. I am grateful to and honour the people who have cared for the land before me and the many First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples that reside here today.

I acknowledge that North Toronto, the neighbourhood where I grew up and call my home, is part of Treaty 13 land, also known as the Toronto Purchase. This land is the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, a Treaty between the Anishinaabe, the Mississaugas of the Credit Frist Nation, the Haudenosaunee, and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the life of the Great Lakes. Indigenous Nations and Peoples, Europeans and all newcomers have been invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship and respect. I am committed to continuing my education on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.

As a visitor on this land, I would like to acknowledge that I work, live, and play on the unceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory. The Indigenous Peoples were stewards of this land before colonialism and it’s important to understand that we are on unsurrendered land. The First Peoples are still here and still have a connection to the land. This recognition and respect for Indigenous Peoples and their lands is a key step toward reconciliation, with hopes that it helps remind myself and others to listen, learn and take real action.

Here on Vancouver Island, I am located in Nanoose Bay which is home to the Snaw -naw-as people, who are the sole survivors of a battle that took place in the 1800s. The community is known as the Nanoose First Nation, and the Snaw-naw-as tribe, along with 18 other tribes in the Salish Sea, all known as the Coast Salish people, and is one of the most Northern tribes on the east side of Vancouver Island.

I would like to recognize that as a staff team we are spread out throughout Canada and are located on various traditional First nations lands. Personally, I want to acknowledge that I am located in Nanoose Bay, which is the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples and I feel fortunate and grateful that I have been able to settle in this beautiful part of the country.

“As a non-Indigenous person I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge that learning is never ending. We should all take time to reflect and understand our country’s history with the Indigenous community. We should remember to approach our work with a diverse lens.”

“As a non-Indigenous person, I commit to continuously learning about and honouring all those who been impacted by colonialism and the Residential School system. As a settler in British Columbia, who resides onthe traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Okanagan/syilx people, I am deeply distraught by the number of children who have been discovered at Residential Schools. I encourage all Canadians to listen survivor stories and honour all those who were forcibly removed from their homes and families. If you know of anyone who needs emotional support, please encourage them to contact the 24-Hour Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419.

In acknowledgment of the Mi’kmaq people, the signed Peace & Friendship Treaties, and the ancestral and traditional lands of Mi’kma’ki on which I live, play, and work, I recognize the significant contributions of the Indigenous peoples and our shared history. As all people of Canada are Treaty People, I hold a personal duty to remain educated and aware of our shared history and future and to let this knowledge help guide me in my everyday actions and decisions.

I come to you from amiskwacîwâskahikan, also known as Edmonton, which is in Treaty 6 Territory, the home and the land of the Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Métis, Dene, and Nakota Sioux. I am forever grateful to these nations for their stewardship, protection, and nurturing of the beautiful prairies I call home. Through the spirits of this land, I have had the privilege to connect with the spirits of the land of my ancestors, and so my gratitude to these spirits and their protectors holds no bounds, as their graciousness has given me the gift of ancestral connection, grounding, and knowledge.

Gwendolyn is a settler and lives and works in Ottawa, on the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence reaches back to time immemorial and continues through to today. She benefits immensely from the nation’s ongoing stewardship over the territory and watershed. Through her role with BGC Canada, Gwendolyn advocates for the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, particularly as they relate to children and youth.

I acknowledge that the land on which we gather is situated within the traditional and treaty territory of the Mississauga. More specifically, the Mississauga of Scugog Island First Nation signatories of the Gunshot Treaty of 1788 and the Williams Treaty of 1923.

In the spirit of respect and truth, Calgary acknowledges the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprising the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations), as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nations). The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III.

We are situated on the land nestled between the Foothills of the Rocky Mountains and Canadian Prairie Lands. The traditional Blackfoot name for the City of Calgary, is “Mohkinstis”. It is where the Bow River meets the Elbow River, the water highway where in the old days people travelled in a harmonious direction with the water. Where the diversity of our landscape is as equal to the diversity of our people and heritage.

I am grateful to be located on Treaty 18 territory which is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and the Chippewas. It covers the areas currently known as Wasaga, Collingwood, and Bradford. There were issues with this treaty allotment as the land was not fully ceded. The government therefore, created a new treaty, the Williams Treaty to fill in the gaps. The Williams Treaty provided less favorable terms to First Nations Signatories than the numbered treaties before it which have led to a number of litigations and settlements across the Greater Toronto Area right up until 2018. This further exemplifies that the injustice against Indigenous people is not in the past and is something that is ongoing. This is just one reason why it’s so important for us to seriously consider our own role within Reconciliation.

I am giving recognition to the land that I am currently on by acknowledging this is in Mi’kmaw’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Specifically, K’jipuktuk (Juh-book-took)/ Halifax, known as The Great Harbour.” The Mi’kmaq people have occupied these lands for over 12,000 years. The land in which we occupy is a shared privilege. One of which we benefit from greatly based upon broken Treaties, the legacy of Residential Schools and colonial policies such as the Indian Act. Despite past events, Indigenous populations continue to exude resiliency and pride. They are worth celebrating. Today, I honour this relationship. We are all Treaty people.

I recognize and acknowledge that I reside on lands of the First Peoples of the Williams Treaties First Nations and other Indigenous Peoples, I would like to thank them for sharing this land. I would also like to acknowledge the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation as close neighbours and friends.

I also recognize the unique relationship the Chippewas have with the lands and waters of this territory. They are the water protectors and environmental stewards of these lands, and I join them in these responsibilities.

I would like to acknowledge that I am a settler on the traditional and unceded lands of the Anishinabewaki, Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawk), and Algonquin people, now known as Ottawa. Today, negotiations are in progress toward Ontario’s first modern-day treaty. It identifies the Algonquins of Ontario Settlement Area in eastern Ontario where more than 1.2 million people live and work.

I am located here in Ottawa, on unceded, un-surrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin nation. I want to acknowledge that their presence here was established long before my own and want to respect and honor their history and territory. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present in this territory and will continue to learn and grow from the knowledge of those who have come before me.

I moved to Vancouver in 2021 and like many who move to this area, it was the water, mountains, and trees that drew me to want to live in such a stunning landscape. Since time immemorial, the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples have cared for this majestic land. As I work and play on this beautiful land I now call home, I am committed to the ongoing responsibility I have to be a partner in reconciliation and to understand the history of and honour the land on which I live.

I am a resident of Ottawa, Canada, which is located on the traditional territory of Algonquin Nations. As a Canadian citizen, I am implicated in the system of occupation and exploitation of all unceded and Treaty territories claimed by my country.

I acknowledge that I live and work from the land covered under the Williams Treaties and reside within the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the Anishinaabeg Nation. These lands remain home to a number of Indigenous nations and people.
As many of us are uninvited guests on this land, it is important that we acknowledge this, and imperative for us to take the time to learn and understand the stories of the true knowledge keepers of the land that we call home.

I respectfully acknowledge that the land in which I live and work on is situated on the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas.

I acknowledge that I live, learn, and work from Nogojiwanong, meaning “place at the foot of the rapids, “ also known as Peterborough. Located in Treaty 20 Territory, Nogojiwanong is home to the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg. As a settler, I am grateful for their care and teachings about this land and the waters I call home.

I reside in Toronto, also known as Tkaronto, the Haudenosaunee word for “meeting place”. Tkaronto is the traditional territory of many nations and is currently home to a diversity of First Nations, Inuit & Métis peoples. I’m grateful that my ancestors were welcomed to share this land in the spirit of friendship and that I have the privilege of being here today.

Like many settlers, I grew up not knowing much about the Indigenous history of this land. Today, there remains much that I still seek to learn, particularly to inform reconciliation efforts in my fundraising profession. “Philanthropy” (i.e. love for all) – and by extension, fundraising – is colonial in nature and accompanied by privilege and power. I am on a journey to better understand that and to work with others to re-imagine how we might re-design the philanthropic systems within which I work.

Toronto is located on Treaty 13, the traditional territory of several nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to live and work on this beautiful land. I pledge to learn and understand the stories of the land we call home, advocate for Indigenous People by sharing my learnings with others as visitors on this land.

With gratitude, I acknowledge that I am on Treaty 6 territory in Edmonton – a traditional meeting ground, gathering place, and travelling route of the traditional and ancestral territories of the Cree, Dene, Blackfoot, Saulteaux and Nakota Sioux. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Métis Settlements and the Métis Nation of Alberta, Regions 2, 3 and 4 within the historical Northwest Métis Homeland.

We acknowledge the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations. We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us.

I am thankful to live on Treaty 6 territory, the land of the Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Métis, Dene, and Nakota Sioux. My family originally hails from lands fractured by colonialism and now calls Edmonton home. It is in this spirit of solidarity that I share in the stewardship of this land and pay respect to the Nations who have called it home since time immemorial.

I acknowledge that I work from Edmonton, located within Treaty 6 Territory and within the Métis homelands and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 4. I acknowledge this land as the traditional territories of many First Nations such as the Nehiyaw (Cree), Denesuliné (Dene), Nakota Sioux (Stoney), Anishinaabe (Saulteaux) and Niitsitapi (Blackfoot).

I would like to pay my respects to these Nations and elders both past and present and I consider myself fortunate to have the opportunity to live and play on this beautiful land that has been under their care for so many years.

I want to advocate for equal education funding for Indigenous People and I call on the federal government to adopt recommendation 8 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.