We wish to acknowledge that we are visitors on this land. (Re)Setting the Stage operates with support from York University, whose campuses reside in the City of Toronto. The name “Toronto” is derived from the Mohawk word “Tkaronto” meaning “the place in the water where the trees are standing.” This is the traditional territory of many Indigenous nations who have cared for the land for thousands of years, including the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Wendat, and most recently the Mississaugas of the Credit, who are the current treaty holders. This area is covered by Treaty 13 and subject of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement to peaceably share and care for the great lakes region. This land is home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

Living on this territory makes all people treaty peoples, including those who came as settlers, or immigrants of this generation or earlier generations, as well as those brought involuntarily to these lands because of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The history of Canada is a history of cultural genocide and slavery – and it is important to acknowledge this truth as we work towards racial justice, equity, liberation, and community.