Reconciliation and Statement

The London Chamber of Commerce recognises that the land on which we live and work is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron Peoples. London neighbours three First Nations, the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation; Oneida Nation of the Thames; and the Munsee-Delaware Nation, who all continue to live as individual sovereign Nations. These lands are connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796, the Longwoods Treaty of 1819, and the Dish With One Spoon Covenant Wampum, agreements that call all of us to share these territories in peace and to care for them together.

As a business organisation, we acknowledge that the prosperity of London’s settler economy has been built on the dispossession of Indigenous Peoples and the ongoing impacts of colonial policies, including in law, finance, land use and labour. We also know that land acknowledgements, on their own, are not reconciliation. They are only meaningful when they are paired with sustained action and accountability.
Guided by Indigenous partners, and building on Indigenous-led work such as the storytelling publication Shared Waters, our Indigenous Allyship in the Workplace initiative and Indigenous-led focus groups informing our strategic plan, the Chamber commits to the following:

1. Indigenous-led reconciliation

We will not ask Indigenous Peoples to solve the problems created by our institutions. Where we engage in reconciliation work, we will do so under Indigenous leadership and guidance, and we will recognise that the responsibility to change Chamber structures, practices and advocacy rests with us.

2. Supporting Indigenous economies

We will work to make the Chamber relevant, accessible and useful to Indigenous-owned businesses, entrepreneurs and First Nations, including by removing barriers to participation, tailoring services in response to their direction, and advocating for policies that support Indigenous economic self-determination.

3. Using our advocacy voice responsibly

As a premier business advocacy organisation, we will, when requested, use our platform to amplify Indigenous priorities, including those related to land, water, housing, employment, procurement and cultural rights, and we will seek alignment with existing Indigenous-led plans and calls to action. We will respectfully seek guidance where economic imperatives conflict with Indigenous rights and navigate these conversations with care and commitment to our relational responsibilities.

4. Investing in learning and accountability

We will provide ongoing learning on our settler colonial history and context, as well as Indigenous histories, rights and contemporary realities for our Board, staff and members, and we will report regularly on our reconciliation commitments so that Indigenous partners can hold us to account.

5. Sustaining relationships

We see this statement as part of a longer journey of relationship building with Indigenous Peoples in and neighbouring London. We will continue to meet regularly with Indigenous business and community representatives, listen to honest feedback, and adapt our work in response.

This statement is a living document. We commit to reviewing and revising it in partnership with local Indigenous Peoples, so that it continues to reflect their guidance, their rights and their priorities.