Three new land acknowledgements have been implemented by York University as part of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) made between the university and First Nations.In an email posted on X by Jonathan Kay, the university's interim dean of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, Dr. Kathryn McPherson, announced the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) had been "gifted [the University] three new land acknowledgements..."They have issued one land acknowledgement for each of their campuses, Keele, Glendon, and Markham, and one for the entire university.To ensure all lands are being acknowledged, the email instructs staff to update their email signatures to include the acknowledgements, and similarly to include them during events and meetings. .As for why they have this new land acknowledgement, the university states it is for reconciliation purposes.Land acknowledgements "...represent an act of reconciliation and a commitment to truth and responsibility."Through the land acknowledgment the university also says it wishes to "honor those who have gone before us, those who are here, and those who have yet to come."The MOU also included an agreement that eligible MCFN members enrolled in undergraduate degrees will not have to pay tuition.
