Beyond Land Acknowledgement and Toward all Elite Camps' Action Plan for Truth and Reconciliation
The area around Elite Camps in Wiarton is primarily within the territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. This land is covered by treaties such as the Robinson Treaties of 1850 and the earlier Penetanguishene Bay Purchase (Crown Treaty Number Five, 1798). These treaties involved the cession of lands along Lake Huron and inland, with specific provisions for hunting and fishing rights, as well as annuity payments to individual band members.
We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Anishinabek Nation, specifically the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. Their territory is part of the Three Fires Confederacy and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. This includes the Saugeen Tract Agreement of 1854, a key treaty related to the lands of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, which includes the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation and the Chippewas of Nawash or "Neyaashiinigmiing," meaning "the point of land surrounded on three sides by water."
We offer our gratitude to the First Nations people for their care for and teachings about the Earth and our relations. Elite Camps approach this new learning with humility, and respect. We are learning about the critical importance of teaching through relationships and are grateful for the opportunity to work on this land. We show respect to its first inhabitants and to Indigenous peoples across the region. The Elite family of camps is committed to the principles of Truth and Reconciliation, and we are dedicated to further learning, understanding, and building positive relationships with the Indigenous communities near us and those visiting our sites.
