The University of Toronto operates on the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat, Tionontati, Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. The Dish binds thoughts land With One Spoon treaty, an agreement forged in 1701 between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and Anishinaabeg Nation to promote peace, shared responsibility, and respect for diversity.

As settlers, we benefit from the violent dispossession, genocide, and colonization of Indigenous peoples. Indigenous communities—both urban and rural—continue to face systemic inequities stemming from failures to honour responsibilities outlined in the treaty. These injustices include residential school abuses, underfunded infrastructure on reserves, medical racism, cultural erasure, and intergenerational trauma. Addressing these injustices requires concrete actions: decolonizing education, media, government systems, and societal beliefs while fostering Indigenous reconnection to land-based teachings.

Indigenous cultures and traditions remain vibrant across Canada’s over 600,000 Métis, 1.7 million First Nations people, and 50,000 Inuit. Their contributions enrich Canadian sustainability and progress through leadership, teachings, and innovation. We have included resources on our website to help support and amplify Indigenous leaders and causes. We hope that through this and your research, you can recognize your positionality and privilege and take action to support Indigenous communities.