ten·der·ly /ˈtendərlē/

I acknowledge that I live, play, and practice on the traditional territory of the Chonnonton, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee Peoples, who continue to live on and care for these lands.

As a Palestinian-Egyptian & Filipinx settler, social worker, and uninvited visitor on these lands, I recognize that I benefit from Canada’s ongoing colonial violence and genocide against Indigenous peoples. I also name the direct role that the social work profession has played in this harm, including the forced removal of Indigenous children, the Sixties Scoop, and the ongoing surveillance and disruption of Indigenous families through Canada's child welfare systems.

Coming from lineages shaped by colonialism and genocide, I understand liberation as interconnected. My commitment to truth and reconciliation is an ongoing responsibility to remember and name harm, amplify Indigenous voices, knowledge, and practices, and actively resist colonial and oppressive systems within mental health and social work systems.