Paying Dues to the Papaschase

I acknowledge that I and many other non-Indigenous people have benefited from this land and I want to show it with more than words. This is my land acknowledgement.

Like many non-Indigenous people in Alberta, I’ve benefited greatly from the land and from the resources under the land.  

Many Indigenous people have not benefited, instead suffering the trauma and challenges of deliberate and consistent attempts by our governments and institutions to supplant Indigenous cultures, undermine their identities, and remove land rights. The creation and then the dissolution of the Papaschase reserve in what is now southern Edmonton is only one example.  

Story of the Papaschase Cree

But how does one person make amends for the entire structure of colonialism and inequity? There’s as many ways as there are people. Start somewhere, pick an action. I wanted to do something that would contribute continuously over time, and due to the hard work of my family, I was able to donate $10,000 toward the creation of an Endowment Fund with the Edmonton Community Foundation. Every year, this fund will generate money to support Indigenous people in Edmonton in whatever way the Papaschase Band determines. In 2021, they decided the proceeds of the fund should support scholarships for their members and other Indigenous students. You can find instructions for applying for this scholarship here if you’re interested.

It is not justice, or compensation, or charity. It’s a way for me to acknowledge the benefits I’ve received from this land, and a way for Indigenous people to control how the money’s spent. I hope other people who’ve benefited from this land will contribute, so the fund will grow, and the money generated every year will be enough to make a positive difference.  

You can donate today at  https://www.ecfoundation.org/funds/edmonton-community-papaschase-endowment-fund/

Thanks are due to The Edmonton Community Foundation, Chief Calvin Bruneau, William T. D. Wadsworth for sharing the work he and his colleagues have done to document Papaschase history, Naheyawin for wisdom on land acknowledgements, and MWM for pointing me toward Australia’s Pay The Rent initiative. (Map image courtesy of William T. D. Wadsworth.)