Colonial Despatches

We acknowledge that the work we do takes place on the traditional unceded territory of the Lekwungen speaking peoples, which includes the Songhees, W̱SÁNEĆ, and Esquimalt Nations. We acknowledge the harm and legacy that colonization have caused to these and other Indigenous Peoples. We are working to decolonize this website by adding Indigenous voices and incorporating Indigenous narratives into the project to provide insight and challenges to historical and colonial contexts.

Some of these documents contain mentions of Indigenous Peoples. The authors of these documents often perpetuate a negative perspective of Indigenous Peoples and it is important to look critically at these mentions. They sometimes use terminology that is now considered hurtful and offensive. To learn more about modern terminology pertaining to Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous ways of knowing, and decolonization, please refer to the Glossary of terms.