Land acknowledgements or tokenism SNEC debates

By Turtle Island News staff When is a land acknowledgment support and when it is tokenism? Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) found itself debating the issue of land acknowledgments verses tokenism after receiving an invitation to a Caledonia business’s re-opening. Some councillors said they felt the invitations to events in nearby municipalities or private business openings sometimes feel more like an Indigenous representative is a “token” or is a performative gesture in lue of true efforts toward reconciliation. The issue arose during SNEC’s Finance Committee meeting, May 15th, when Elected Chief Mark Hill brought up an invitation to Rexall’s grand re-opening in Caledonia on May 19. Elected Chief Hill said he could not attend and asked if any councillors would consider attending to represent the community. Councillor Melba Thomas volunteered,…

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