The name Toronto comes to us from the Kanien’kéha name Tsi Tkarón:tó, meaning ‘there are trees in the water’. The Kanien’kéha:ka people, the People of the Flint, are a part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

The Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe Nations entered into an agreement around 1701 known as the Dish With One Spoon treaty. Dish With One Spoon, more broadly, is an Indigenous legal concept that dates back to the early 11th century. It describes the reciprocal responsibility of sharing territory, and caring for the land, water and animals, while maintaining each nation’s sovereignty.

There is a lot of work to be done to repair our relationship to the land, and to the Indigenous communities who experience the ongoing effects of settler colonialism. We can begin by recognizing the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples, and their right to governance of the land.

We can also begin to repair by reflecting on what the land means to us, and our place in its history. TAIS sits between Davenport and Dupont, streets that were built on some of the original portage trails used by Indigenous peoples. Davenport follows the longest First Nations trail in Ontario, known as Gete-Onigaming, or “the carrying place trail.” Today, we have the privilege of inviting artists from around the world to travel here, create art and share it. We’re grateful that we are able to support them.

This shared land has been home to many people throughout the years, namely the Wyandot people, the Mississauga, the Mississaugas of the Credit, as well as Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and around the world. We all share the responsibility of caring for it and ensuring its sustainability for all who come after us.

What’s said here has been said before – we encourage you to learn about this land and it’s history through Indigenous art, teachings and scholarship.