EN
The Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat Peoples have lived on this land, their traditional territories, for thousands of years. Today Tkaronto (now known as Toronto) is a place that continues to be home to many First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. We wish to acknowledge these traditional territories where RBC employees, clients and partners now gather in our head office as a center of commerce focused on helping people thrive and communities to prosper. RBC is committed to building relationships with Indigenous people and communities based on mutual respect and shared values. Together, we can create a sustainable future for communities from coast to coast to coast.
What is a Land Acknowledgment?
A land acknowledgement is a formal recognition of the traditional territorial lands one is occupying as a sign of respect to Indigenous Peoples and communities past, present and future.
Why is a Land Acknowledgment important?
Acknowledging the traditional territory and original owners of the region helps non-Indigenous Canadians understand and be reminded of the true history of Canada. Meaningful land acknowledgments are a practice which can inspire learning and appreciation of Indigenous people and communities, acting as a gateway to further cultural education and relationship building.
Nations referred to in RBC’s Land Acknowledgement
Land acknowledgements for the Greater Toronto Area (or “tkaronto” – a Wendat word for “where the trees are standing in the water”) include recognitions of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat.
The Wendat Peoples
- Known as “Wendat” and the territory as “Wendake” (“Huron” was a nickname given to them by the French)
- Traditional territory spans from the St. Lawrence Valley to the Great Lakes
- Archaeological evidence that the Wendat’s ancestors lived in the Toronto area for many generations before European contact
- Stayed in one place for 10-15 years until they needed better agricultural land
- Population decreased significantly in the early 17th century due to disease
- Dispersed by 1650 after several conflicts with the Haudenosaunee, with some going to Quebec (Huron-Wendat Nation) and some to the United States
Haudenosaunee
- The Haudenosaunee Confederacy (“People of the long house”) is made up of six nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora
- Also known as “Six Nations” or, in an outdated name given by the French, “Iroquois”
- Although their home region was south of Lake Ontario (Finger Lakes region of New York state), the Haudenosaunee covered most of southern Ontario after the 1660s
Chippewa
- The Chippewa are part of a larger Indigenous group (Anishinabeg); in Canada, it is more common to use the word Ojibwe to indicate nationality
- Several groups of Ojibwe/Chippewa migrated from the Great Lakes region between 1680 and 1800 – some into Southern Ontario, some into the US Midwest displacing the Dakota, some into Northern Ontario and into the Canadian Prairies and British Columbia
- By the late 1700s, the Chippewa peoples were primarily concentrated near Lake Simcoe, the Bruce Peninsula and the Thames River valley
Anishinabeg
- According to oral tradition, the Anishinabeg migrated from the East Coast into the northern Great Lakes region around 1400 CE
- Those who settled in the Greater Toronto area include those who identify as Ojibwe, Chippewa and Mississauga
- Involved in several treaties covering millions of acres of land across Turtle Island, including the Treaty of Niagara, the 1850 Robinson Treaties, the Manitoulin Island Treaties, Numbered Treaties 1-5 and 9, and the 923 Williams Treaties
Mississaugas of the Credit
- Part of the Ojibwe (Anishinabeg) Nation who settled in Canada West around 1634/1635, from Lake Erie to the headwaters of the Thames, Grand, Humber and Rouge Rivers
- Drove the Haudenosaunee back to south of Lake Ontario by 1700.
- Their territory includes 3.9 million acres of land, water and resources
- By 1830, white settlers outnumbered the Mississaugas by more than 100:1
Discover More
Legacy Light Fixture
The reception light fixture design is inspired by a territorial treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee, which binds the Nations to share the territory and protect the land.