We at St James Westminster acknowledge the history of the First Nations peoples who inhabited and used the land on which this church stands. These are the traditional beaver hunting grounds of the Algonquin, Haudenosaunee and Attawandaran (Neutral) peoples; and the longstanding Indigenous groups of this region are the Anishnaabe Peoples, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Lenni-Lenape Peoples. Our church is situated in close proximity to the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation, Oneida Nation of the Thames, and Munsee-Delaware Nation.
While territories represent the political and legal boundaries of nations, we also wish to uphold our common stewardship of creation and our common connection to land as the birthplace of our humanity. We respect our place on Turtle Island and appreciate the deep relationship she has with her First Peoples, and we understand our responsibility to one another as we move forward in love and peace.