I can’t in good conscience acquiesce to the quasi-religious practice of Land Acknowledgements. Last week at my @HWDSB school council meeting, I decided to speak up:
When participation in a ritual like a Land Acknowledgment is required, we can’t truly know who agrees and who is just going along with it out of pressure. Even if the principal claims to recite it willingly, we can't know whether that reflects his/her true beliefs or if he/she feels compelled to comply to avoid repercussions. A statement repeated under obligation is not a reflection of truth—it’s a demand for conformity.
No policy: They’ve by-passed the essential public consultation process and have not received official approval from the Board of elected trustees, who are accountable to the public. Instead, they’re trying to impose this mandate based on a *handbook* written by *unelected* board staff, circumventing the proper democratic procedures that ensure transparency and accountability.
School councils are parent-led advisory bodies established by the Education Act to provide input and advice to school principals and boards. While not legally independent entities, they operate with a degree of autonomy and should be free to determine the content and conduct of their own meetings, consistent with their role as representatives of the local school community.
Out of respect for the privacy of council members, I won’t share their responses—but they did agree to include my objection in the meeting minutes, and the meeting continued as planned.
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