As a person who found recovery in a Twelve Step program, I am familiar with the concept of making amends and reparation where needed, not only in my personal life but as a member of society. Part of that for me is recognizing my privilege as a settler woman living on unceded territory.
In the She Recovers community, we encourage members to learn about the land on which they live and include a land acknowledgment when they introduce themselves in our gatherings. We view such acknowledgments as a profoundly important practice, not a token gesture.
A meaningful land acknowledgment requires us to do more than just recite the names of the original inhabitants of the land (using correct pronunciation). It requires us to understand the history of the land and recognize how colonialism impacted the Indigenous peoples where we now live.
It is important for us to honor the land and people who lived here long before we did. As we continue to work on our recovery, we learn how we can make amends and reparation to the land where we live and to its first peoples.
This is what recovery looks like. I acknowledge with respect, gratitude, and humility the Lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional and unceded territories I live, work, and recover.