Finding Our Place on the Land

Grade 6 Students Create Personal Territory Acknowledgements with Ms. Charlene Smoke

Connecting with the land is more than just an activity. It’s a journey that begins with understanding, reflection, and responsibility. Recently, our Grade 6 students had the opportunity to create their own territory acknowledgements, guided by Ms. Charlene Smoke, Meadowridge’s Indigenous Education Coordinator.

Ms. Smoke led a class that encouraged students to explore their relationship with the land, consider their ancestry, and recognize the role of personal responsibility in caring for the environment and community. This experience builds on what students have learned in previous years: in Grade 3, they explored the medicine wheel, stories about the land, and Indigenous perspectives; in Grade 5, they focused on leadership, citizenship, and responsibility. Now, in Grade 6, they are bringing these lessons together by creating personal land acknowledgements that reflect their own stories and ancestry, while connecting to the territory.

Using the First Peoples Principles of Learning as a foundation, students worked in groups with one of four FPPL themes, each guiding them to reflect on a different aspect of their relationship with the land:

Identity:  
Exploring who they are in relation to the territory and how their family history and experiences shape that connection.

Holistic & Relational Learning:  
Reflecting on how the land makes them feel and how humans and nature are interconnected.

Responsibility:
Considering how their actions impact the land and the people around them.

Story & History:
Learning from Indigenous stories and understanding the historical context of the land they inhabit.

Through guided prompts and reflection starters, students crafted acknowledgements that were personal, thoughtful, and grounded in the principles of Indigenous learning. These acknowledgements are not only an expression of respect for the land but also an invitation for each student to consider their role in its stewardship.

By creating these personal territory acknowledgements, our Grade 6 students are learning that connection to the land is both personal and collective—a responsibility and a privilege that links past, present, and future generations.