All people not Indigenous to North America who are living on this continent are settlers on stolen land. In particular, the land on which Simon Fraser University sits is claimed by several of the Coast Salish Nations, including the Tsleil-Waututh, Skwxwu7mesh (Squamish), Kwikwetlem and Musqueam nations. These are the original people of this land and its rightful guardians. We acknowledge that the Canadian state and its provinces and their institutions were founded through genocide and colonization of Indigenous peoples – which continues today and from which settlers directly benefit.
As settlers who seek to act in solidarity, it is our responsibility to proactively challenge and dismantle colonialist thought and behaviour in the communities we identify ourselves to be part of. As people within communities that maintain and benefit from colonization, we are intimately positioned to do this work.