Our Current Commitment to the Land and Reconciliation

We would like to acknowledge the history and honour the relationships of local First Nations that have cared for the land in and around London, ON, since time immemorial. Known to us as the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Lenape or Delaware nations, they are some of the original stewards of this region and have helped shape this area’s unique biodiversity. Through incorporating indigenous stewardship into our organization, we hope to honour these historical nations and help our present-day indigenous communities thrive. These communities downstream the Deshkan Ziibi or Antler River, are known as the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Oneida Nation of the Thames, and Munsee-Delaware Nation.

Environmental action must occur simultaneously with indigenous reconciliation, as each strengthens and supports the other. As an environmental non-profit organization, we are committed to advancing reconciliation with our neighbouring communities by building equitable and ethical spaces, and fostering meaningful relationships that support their community goals. Furthermore, we strive to incorporate indigenous stewardship practices into our organization while supporting Indigenous-led conservation efforts. 

To achieve this commitment, we have been working towards educating our staff and network and collaborating on projects with local Indigenous communities and leaders. With a recently approved Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenization (EDII) strategy, our staff and Board of Directors are working on actions across the organization (including communications, human resources, programming, and procurement) to improve and demonstrate our organization’s commitment to EDII. Please see below for a variety of ways we are working on this. We are always open to working on environmental projects and learning ways to decolonize our work. Please reach out to Leah Derikx, Interim Executive Director, to discuss our projects (hello@londonenvironment.net).

Working with Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Environment, Treaties and Lands Department

• Working with Chippewas of the Thames First Nation (COTTFN) Environment, Treaties and Lands Department on a grant to help pilot net-zero retrofits for their homes, and successfully implementing a net-zero residential retrofit project (click here to learn more)

• We’ve helped with native plant plantings at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, as well as co-hosted a tree and composter giveaway

• We helped build a composting system for the community garden at Chippewas

• Registered three buildings with the Nonprofit Resiliency Project, we are actively working with them through the walkthroughs and reports. We have also hosted tree plantings at these locations.  

• The Environment, Treaties, and Lands Department at COTTFN is a member of the Environmental Network and receives support through our programing.

Communications, Events & Advocacy

• Encouraging at the municipal level the acceleration of separating the combined sewers (which results in raw sewage being dumped into the river in extreme weather events) and investment in wastewater treatment facilities to city staff

• We have a podcast series with 2 episodes about The River, speakers including Emma Young and Brandon Graham from the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation’s Treaty and Wahsayzee Deleary (Anishinaabe), Oneida Nation, Indigenous Water Educator. 

• Blog Series on Environmentalism in Action, including a blog about clean water rights and land rights.

• Hosting various events featuring Indigenous knowledge keepers, such as the Green & Just Recovery Townhall with Grand Chief Joel Abrams, Sustainable Building Retrofits with Mohawk Seedkeeper Terri-Lynn Brant among others.

• Organized the River Talks: A Gathering at Deshkan Ziibi conference in 2018, which combined Indigenous knowledge, science-based environmental solutions, and arts

• Share information about River Water Quality on our website.

• Tour and celebration of completed near-net-zero home retrofits in COTTFN

• Hosted a home retrofits webinar series to educate and assist other residents

Green Economy London

• COTTFN are members of the Green Economy London program

• N’Amerind Friendship Centre is a member of the Green Economy London program and received a sustainability walkthrough of their buildings to identify cost reduction and energy efficiency opportunities and other sustainability projects presented in a sustainability report

Other Projects

• Worked with Amanda Kennedy on the Tsi’thotuhutsya:te (The Creators Land) Community Healing Garden project in London, dropping off seed kits to folks willing to grow seedlings for a community garden at Oneida, and we run a harvesting session for one of the healing gardens

• Worked with the Terri-Lynn Brant, the Mohawk Seedkeeper of the Six Nations in Caledonia to help supply the Mohawk Seedkeeper School Support project with supplies

• Donated and promoted the GoFundMe for to the Anishinaabe Round House project at Chippewa of the Thames First Nation

• Supported an incubator project called Alumiikun Waxkaniim meaning Growing Seeds in the Lunaape language. The Growing Seeds project is an ancestral and organic seed garden, led by Sam Whiteye (Xúwii Shoopéekal Enterprises).

Internal Education & Operations

• Honoured every National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (September 30th) by offering paid time for staff to learn about colonization and Indigenous culture, and spend time reflecting on what we can change in our organization to decolonize our work

• Staff completed the Indigenous Canada course from the University of Alberta

• Staff read various books by Indigenous authors for a monthly book club and discussed including Braiding Sweetgrass and Speaking My Truth: Reflections on Reconciliation and Residential School

• Our previous (2021-2024) Equity Diversity and Inclusion strategy was updated in 2024, with board approval, to the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenization (EDII) strategy. This strategy includes a list of actions and commitments with respect to LEN’s human resources, communications, board and committees, and programs.