Taylor establishes committee to recognize Indigenous land

TAYLOR, B.C. — The District of Taylor has established a land acknowledgement select committee to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ relationship to the Peace River region.

Council established the committee in 2023 with one council member and three staff members appointed.

Responsibilities include conducting research and engaging with First Nation partners to learn about the historical usage of Taylor lands. Committee members will also report to council with progress updates and formal reports. 

Deputy Corporate Officer Lisa Ford says the acknowledgement will make the district unique in addressing First Nations land. 

Council plans to make a formal acknowledgment statement for the beginning of meetings and ensures it receives as much input as possible from Indigenous communities before implementation.

“I think this is a really great opportunity. Acknowledgement is very important, but I think it’s also a good opportunity to make some connections and show our support to different First Nations partners,” said Ford. 

At the February 26th meeting, council discussed upcoming events hosted by First Nations partners for the committee to attend, hoping it will create opportunities to learn and connect.

Members of the committee will meet with local elders, chiefs and councils of local Indigenous communities in the future. 

Meetings will also be scheduled with the North Peace Museum and the Historical Society to discuss the history of Peace River land. 

The first event the committee will be attending is the Reawakening our Language: A Gathering to Honour First Peoples Language Revitalization on March 14th and 15th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Northern Lights College. 

After Taylor’s general election in 2022, newly elected mayor Brent Taillefer wanted to prioritize a land acknowledgement for council. 

A First Nations Land Acknowledgement was first recognized in the order of proceedings and business when the council adopted the procedure rules for its board meetings in 2022. 

Council felt it was important to have a land acknowledgement specific to Taylor.

The committee had its first meeting in January 2024.

More information can be found on the District of Taylor website.