Russ Aegard
After a "land acknowledgement" at our
school this year, I took one of my
students’ water bottles and walked to
the front of the class.
I then acknowledged that it was their
water bottle and in the spirit of
reconciliation, I felt it important to
acknowledge that it was theirs as that
would help heal ‘all of us’ for my
behaviour. I then placed it on my desk.
They looked at me and I asked them
what was wrong. They told me they
wanted their water bottle back.
Apparently the words of
acknowledgement without the action
of reconciliation (returning of stolen
property for example) didn't work for
them.
