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The Wellington Health Care Alliance respectfully acknowledges that Palmerston & District Hospital, Louise Marshall Hospital, and Groves Memorial Community Hospital are located on the traditional and ancestral territories of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Attawandaron Peoples.
These lands are connected to Treaty 19, the Ajetance Purchase of 1818; Treaty 3, the Haldimand Tract; Treaty 29, the 1827 Huron Tract Treaty; and Treaty 45½, agreements that continue to shape the relationships between Indigenous Peoples and the Crown across Wellington County and the surrounding region. We honour the enduring stewardship, knowledge, and presence of Indigenous Peoples who have cared for these lands since time immemorial.
While these treaties are often described through written documents, it must be noted that these documents do not entirely capture the sacred and relational character of oral negotiations between the Original Peoples of Turtle Island and the Crown. We acknowledge that these lands remain subject to inherent rights, covenants, treaties, and self-governance agreements that continue to guide Indigenous relationships with the land and one another.
The Seven Ancestors (Grandfathers) Teachings of Love, Respect, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Humility, and Truth have guided Indigenous Peoples in their relationships with one another, the land, and all living things for countless generations. These teachings embody reciprocity, interconnectedness, responsibility, and a deep reverence for Mother Earth. In contrast, colonial systems often viewed land as a commodity to be owned, divided, bought, sold, or taken, rather than as a living relationship requiring stewardship and respect. Recognizing these different worldviews helps us better understand our shared history and the ongoing work required to build respectful and equitable relationships.
Land acknowledgements provide us with an opportunity to apologize for our history and to acknowledge the profound teachings of respect that Indigenous Peoples hold for the earth, the environment, and future generations. However, acknowledgement alone is not enough. It does not preclude our responsibility to address the inequities faced by Indigenous Peoples in this region, including the health inequities that persist today as a result of historical and ongoing colonial practices.