Toronto United Field Hockey Club is based in Tkaronto, now known as the city of Toronto, which in Mohawk means “where there are trees standing in the water”. Today, Tkaronto is covered under Treaty #13 and the Williams Treaties. The land we live, practice, play and enjoy is the traditional territories of many First Peoples, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples.
While we realize that simply acknowledging these lands is not a replacement for the land itself as our country continues to colonize and displace our First Peoples. This territory is part of ‘the Dish with One Spoon’ wampum, a Treaty made between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas, and Haudenosaunee, where nations entered into an agreement to protect the land and responsibly care for its resources in harmony together.
As settlers, newcomers, refugees, and Indigenous peoples, we have all been invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship, and respect. We are also mindful of broken treaties that persist across Turtle Island today and recognize our responsibilities as Treaty people to engage in a meaningful, continuous process of truth and reconciliation with all our relations.