Welcome to McMaster!

We recognize and acknowledge that students of McMaster University meet and learn on the traditional territories of the Mississauga and Haudenosaunee nations, and within the lands protected by the "Dish With One Spoon" wampum, an agreement to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes.

Even though you might not be physically coming to campus in September, it is important to understand the significance of McMaster’s land acknowledgement.  

You might hear this land acknowledgement at the beginning of classes, sessions, talks, and conferences you attend over your university career. You might also see it written on syllabi, in email signatures, and other places around campus. It might be tempting to just breeze by it and tune out, since you’ve heard or seen it before. Instead, try to take a moment to internalize what the land acknowledgement is saying in any new context: how the learning and experience you are having, or are about to have, is based upon an often ignored history of who the land belongs to and without whom the experiences and learning would not be possible. Try your best to see land acknowledgements as an opportunity to check in with your gratitude, and to situate yourself among the broader context of Canada’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, and to the Indigenous peoples in Canada.