Land Acknowledgement

​​This land was initially acquired in the unrecorded Crawford Purchase of 1783, which was negotiated primarily between Captain William Redford Crawford, several Mississauga representatives, and a Chief Mynass, who claimed to own all the land north of the St. Lawrence River to the Ottawa River. No formal treaty was signed. In recognition of their contributions in the American Revolution, approximately 100 Mohawk settlers also settled on part of the land covered by the Crawford Purchase, now known as the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Additionally, SD&G neighbours the Mohawk islands of Akwesasne.  

As history enthusiasts, we at the museum recognize that the Nor'Westers and Loyalists whom we celebrate at the museum have a long and complicated history with the traditional owners of the land, much of which was covered up or forgotten. We intend to begin rectifying this situation by receiving the expertise and advice from the Native North American Travelling College, who have visited us in the past and have further information on their mandate on their website: https://www.nnatc.org/about-2. We also intend to continue incorporating more indigenous history into our museum, as well as doing our best to learn more about the rich history of indigenous people in our local area and beyond. This summer, for example, several of our workers will be participating in the Indigenous Histories course offered by the University of Alberta, which we encourage others to check out in order at https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html. You may also want to familiarize yourself with the Truth and Reconciliation Act, http://www.trc.ca/ and their 94 Calls to Action, of which only a handful have been met: http://trc.ca/assets/pdf/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf. We feel it is important  to have a full understanding of the history of the places we call home in order to be informed citizens, and these are just some first steps in doing so. 

Other Sources Used:

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/crawford-purchase

http://anishinabeknews.ca/2018/11/08/land-for-goods-the-crawford-purchases/