Crafting Meaningful Land Acknowledgments
The Workshop
Land acknowledgements have become increasingly common across Canada, yet many still feel scripted or surface-level. In this workshop, Syndel Thomas Kozar invites participants to reflect on what it truly means to offer a land acknowledgement that is grounded, personal, and accountable.
Together, we explore common misconceptions and walk through the key elements of a meaningful acknowledgement: recognizing the land (treaty or unceded), naming the Indigenous peoples connected to that place, past and present, locating yourself through positionality, and speaking to responsibility.
Drawing from her experience as a nehiyaw and settler artist, facilitator, and policy advocate, Syndel emphasizes that meaning is found in intention and delivery.Participants will be introduced to accessible ways to learn about the land they are on and encouraged to speak honestly, avoid “fluffy” narratives, and acknowledge both history and present realities.
This session is reflective, practical, and heart-centered, supporting individuals, organizations, and community groups in developing land acknowledgements that feel genuine, informed, and alive in the present tense.
About the Speaker
| Syndel Thomas Kozar (they/she/any)
Syndel Thomas Kozar is a Two-Spirit, neurodivergent nehiyaw (Plains Cree) and settler artist, policy thinker, and community facilitator from Melfort, Saskatchewan, and a band member of One Arrow First Nation. They are completing a Double Honours Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, with a minor in English and a Certificate in Indigenous Storytelling. Syndel is the Founder of the Turtle Island Wellness & Inclusivity Collective (TIWIC), a social enterprise dedicated to culturally grounded arts programming, youth leadership, and systems change. Through initiatives such as Crafting Kinship and Just a Child in Canada, they create spaces where Indigenous and gender-diverse youth can reconnect to culture, creativity, and community care. A recognized youth leader and facilitator, Syndel has served in national advocacy spaces, advisory circles, and mentorship roles, bringing together art, storytelling, and policy to address identity, belonging, and wellbeing. Grounded in lived experience — including being raised by residential school survivors — their work bridges personal narrative and structural analysis, uplifting Indigenous resurgence while building accessible, relational futures rooted in kinship and collective healing. |
Know Before You Go
- This is a virtual event – the link will be sent to you via email. (Make sure to check your spam folders!)
- The event will run about 1 to 1.5 hours.
- We strive to create inclusive and safer spaces. Hate speech, harassment, or harmful behaviours will not be tolerated. Anyone engaging in this behaviour will be removed from the event.
| Starts | Mon Mar 23 2026, 12:00pm CST |
| Ends | Mon Mar 23 2026, 1:30pm CST |
