Truth & Reconciliation

Urban Roots London endorses the ten principles of truth and reconciliation developed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

• • • 1.   The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the framework for reconciliation at all levels and across all sectors of Canadian society.

    • 2.   First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, as the original peoples of this country and as self-determining peoples, have Treaty, constitutional, and human rights that must be recognized and respected.
    • 3.   Reconciliation is a process of healing relationships that requires public truth sharing, apology, and commemoration that acknowledge and redress past harms.
    • 4.   Reconciliation requires constructive action on addressing the ongoing legacies of colonialism that have had destructive impacts on Aboriginal peoples’ education, cultures and languages, health, child welfare, administration of justice, and economic opportunities and prosperity.
    • 5.   Reconciliation must create a more equitable and inclusive society by closing the gaps in social, health, and economic outcomes that exist between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.
    • 6.   All Canadians, as Treaty peoples, share responsibility for establishing and maintaining mutually respectful relationships.
    • 7.   The perspectives and understandings of Aboriginal Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers of the ethics, concepts, and practices of reconciliation are vital to long-term reconciliation.
    • 8.   Supporting Aboriginal peoples’ cultural revitalization and integrating Indigenous knowledge systems, oral histories, laws, protocols, and connections to the land into the reconciliation process are essential.
    • 9.   Reconciliation requires political will, joint leadership, trust building, accountability, and transparency, as well as a substantial investment of resources.
    • 10. Reconciliation requires sustained public education and dialogue, including youth engagement, about the history and legacy of residential schools, Treaties, and Aboriginal rights, as well as the historical and contemporary contributions of Aboriginal peoples to Canadian society
  • Citation: What We Have Learned: Principles of Truth and Reconciliation. Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (2015).

Urban Roots London’s

Land Acknowledgement

It’s an important practice to situate ourselves because being mindful of this informs our decisions and moves us to greater action. We recognize that we are on land that has long been stewarded by the Anishinaabeg, The Haudenosaunee and the Lunaapeewak and the communities we neighbour are Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Oneida Nation of the Thames and Munsee-Delaware Nation. And we recognize that Ontario is covered by 46 treaties and other agreements. Urban Roots London acknowledges the history of atrocities that have been committed against these communities, and the ongoing inequities that still require solutions today. We acknowledge that we are beneficiaries of incredible Indigenous knowledge that has been transferred through generations, in most cases against the best efforts of colonization. In many Indigenous communities, lessons are passed down through generations, sharing that food is medicine. It has the power to heal us, to comfort us, to bring us together, to remind us of good memories, and to make us feel at home. 

In this spirit, we’re honoured to grow and share food with the communities around us. We’re committed to doing that in a good way, and we demonstrate that in the way we care for the land we grow on. We feel a deep responsibility to nurture the land, because it is the way we give back to the community. We use regenerative agriculture and other sustainable growing practices, we try to take a holistic approach, and we treat all living things with respect – these ideas might seem innovative, but that impression is from a colonized lens, because really these are principles that are older than anyone we know. We also share our harvest with the model of thirds – making sure there is enough for everyone, a concept in line with the Honourable Harvest. 

Like traveling in a boat, and looking behind you to see the wake, we notice and consider the impact that our actions will have, and we think about how our actions will affect the next seven generations. How are we doing as future ancestors? We want to be a response to the huge amount of food insecurity in London, and we do that knowing that there are major health gaps due to systemic inequality, so we are motivated to make change for the groups who are equity-denied and -deserving. We create opportunities to work, learn, connect – through internships and other opportunities. For all of this perspective and knowledge, we’re thankful and we want to share the benefits in the spirit of reciprocity.