The Deception and Insincerity Behind ‘Land Acknowledgements’ by John Robson

June 3, 2024 TruthUSA

Commentary

Starting off by admitting that this column was plagiarized on a stolen computer by a notorious brute, I urge everyone to aspire to create a better world by following my lead. However, if you wouldn’t take advice from a dishonest thug and believe that I should return the laptop to its rightful owner, then you might want to steer clear of Canada.

In Canada, every high-profile or public-sector event typically begins with a solemn acknowledgment that we are on stolen land. Whether it’s deemed “traditional,” “unceded,” or “unsurrendered,” the assertion is false, hypocritical, and harmful.

This hypocrisy is hard to swallow. Those who self-righteously claim to be residing on stolen territory have no intention of returning it because they either do not believe it was stolen or do not consider theft to be wrong.

For instance, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sanctimoniously agrees with the report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women about an ongoing genocide without stepping down or facing trial. This raises questions about whether he truly acknowledges the genocide, believes genocide is reprehensible, or even comprehends his position of power.

Furthermore, the narrative of Canada being a racist nation built on stolen land is unequivocally false.

Although the devastating encounters between Europeans and Indigenous peoples are regrettable, if promises were made to Aboriginal leaders and not fulfilled, the legal system in Canada allows for recourse. This false narrative runs much deeper.

There is a fallacious notion that Indigenous peoples lived in perfect harmony with each other and nature before European colonization. Their limited environmental impact stemmed from primitive technology, not some innate ecological virtue absent in others. Additionally, they engaged in warfare, including acts of violence and ethnic cleansing.

Some senators have criticized Canada for its involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, despite the fact that slavery was abolished by the British before Confederation and Upper Canada was one of the first places in the Empire to prohibit slavery. Historically, Indigenous peoples also partook in slavery until it was eradicated by colonial interventions.

The notion of “traditional” Indigenous territories in “so-called Canada” is misleading. Canada’s claim to its territory is more legitimate than that of various Aboriginal groups, being based on treaties, purchases, continuous occupation, and effective governance with public support.

Living in a lie is not in line with Canadian values, and it is crucial to reject pervasive falsehoods about Canada being built on stolen land. These fabrications undermine trust in the authorities and perpetuate distorted historical grievances which can have detrimental social implications.

Ultimately, pretending to acknowledge a falsehood is not the Canadian way.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

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