Land acknowledgements are back in the news again, and just because they're such fun, let’s indulge

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This is now:

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that the land on which we reside, now known as the Town of Marblehead, is the ancestral homeland of the Naumkeag Band of the Massachusetts and Pawtucket tribes. They lived here under the leadership of the Great Sachem Nanepashemet. Since time immemorial, the Naumkeag people maintained this land and surrounding water with the utmost respect, preserving it for future generations and treating it as sacred ground for the burial of their dead. They had an organized and thriving community before the arrival of European settlers. The Naumkeag people suffered great loss of life during King Philip’s War and the small pox plagues, and the surviving members were dispossessed of the land. Although we are unaware of any Naumkeag descendants living in Marblehead today, we honor the Naumkeag people of the Massachusetts and Pawtucket tribes, past and present, as the original stewards of this land and pledge to include their history in the history of our Town.

And this also is now:

Native Land has an incredible map that you can use to find out on which land your wedding is taking place: https://native-land.ca/

In addition to learning on which nation’s territory your wedding is taking place, it’s also important to take the time to learn how the nation names are properly pronounced.

Here are some common areas in British Columbia, their corresponding First Nation(s), and pronunciation.

Pal Nancy and I had intended to include a land acknowledgement ceremony in our own wedding years ago, but, unfortunately, the blanket I’d given the shaman as a downpayment for his services turned out to be infected with smallpox, and the poor fellow expired just as he was raising his drumstick to begin. Don’t know how that terrible mistake occurred.