There’s kind of a formula I have heard used for giving a land acknowledgment these days, that goes something like, “I acknowledge that we are on the unceded territory of the Lil’wat and St’at’imc peoples, and am grateful to be able to work, play and live here.”

But what does it actually mean to work, do business, run an enterprise, make a living, raise a family, recreate, grow food, tether your safety and comfort and prosperity and future fortune to this place, this land, the place of the Lilwat7ul?

What a wonderful question. What does it mean? There are some sticky words that can come up when we start to interrogate our identities – what does it mean to be a good guest, a settler, an ally… A lot of those words create tricky terrain and I find most of the casual conversations I’m part of, will get stuck there, in definitions and defensiveness.

So, what if we ask instead, (because the best solutions always come from the best (and most generous) questions): What does it mean to play your part in this unfolding relationship well?

If we can move from a place of genuine curiosity, rather than defensiveness, we will move with an open posture, rather than elbows out… and we can build bridges that will carry all of us from here to there and back again.

This full-day offering of Indigenous and Intercultural Awareness Training, being organized by the Pemberton + District Chamber of Commerce, on May 17, will take place right here, at Ts’zil Learning Centre, and has been custom created here by members of the Lilwat7ul Nation, in partnership with BCIT and the Whistler Institute. If you’ve done a MOOC or cultural training before, you might have left with some questions as to how what you learned applies here, where you live and work and play. This course will help deepen your literacy of place and your sense of belonging and your understanding of how to play your part well in this unfolding relationship of Lil’wat dwellers – all of us who live on Lil’wat land – and Lil’wat7ul, the true Lil’wat, the people OF the land.

Register at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/indigenous-and-intercultural-awareness-training-program-tickets-617496567857?utm_campaign=post_publish&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_content=shortLinkNewEmail

Capacity is set at 20.