Honouring UTM’s original caretaker
Long before the University of Toronto Mississauga, the land on which our campus is situated was home to the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
The grounds of the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) were not always built with lecture halls or laboratories. These lands were home to generations of people. Long before the concrete paths were laid, this land belonged to the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation is part of one of the largest Aboriginal Nations in North America—the Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) Nation. The Mississaugas speak Anishinaabemowin, which means “language,” and is made up of three main dialects: Ojibway, Pottawatomi, and Odawa. Mississauga comes from the Anishinaabe Misi-zaagiin, translating to “those at the great river-mouth.”
The Mississaugas saw themselves as caretakers across a wide stretch of territory — around 3.9 million acres in southern Ontario, which includes forests, rivers, and natural supplies.
Their territory stretched from the Rouge River Valley in the east, westward to the headwaters of the Thames River, down to Long Point on Lake Erie, and followed the shores of Lake Erie, the Niagara River, and Lake Ontario before returning to the Rouge River Valley.
The community moved with the seasons instead of against them. They would hunt when needed, fish where streams met lakes, collect herbs and healing roots, then paddle through waterways in bark canoes. The Mississaugas understood rivers, creeks and lakes not just as supplies, but as breathing parts tied to how they viewed the world.
The Mississaugas held a deep relationship with the Earth, rooted in interconnectedness and respect. They viewed the land, waters, plants, and animals as parts of one living system, each element essential to the balance of life. As Heritage Mississauga describes, the Mississaugas “lived lightly on the land,” following a lifestyle that left little trace of their presence.
The Mississaugas once lived in areas surrounding the Credit River, Etobicoke Creek, and Burlington Bay. Toward the late 1700s and early 1800s, the British Crown negotiated a series of land agreements through which the Mississaugas surrendered large portions of their traditional territory. Today, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation live on a reserve near Hagersville, Ontario, which covers approximately 6,100 acres.
Honouring traditions and respecting sacred land
Being part of campus life means seeing the grounds, parks, waterways and critters not just as perks to use, but as networks that require our care and respect—and there are various ways to do so.
Land acknowledgements hold great significance. Whenever an event is held on the grounds our campus stands on, we should start by recognizing we are gathering on ancestral grounds tied to the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, alongside other Indigenous communities. This practice is not a mere procedure, but a reminder that we should pay gratitude and respect to our land and to honour Indigenous communities that took care of it.
Also, learning about native traditions, such as digging into the actual communities tied to the area, can help us learn more about Indigenous communities. This can provide us with a truly comprehensive understanding of history. Activities like exploring gatherings hosted by locals, reading books or articles written by Indigenous voices and appreciating displays featured through initiatives like Mississauga’s heritage projects are also ways to respect and honour the Indigenous community.
Amplifying Indigenous voices is also another practical way to ensure native perspectives are accurately shared. Through channels like the UTM radio, Instagram accounts, or lectures, we can spotlight Indigenous writers, creators and thinkers.
Respecting the history behind UTM grounds
Understanding the history of the land we stand on is important because it fosters a deeper sense of connection. Instead of seeing UTM as a place shaped only by recent hands, picture it growing from old rivers, shifting soil, and generations who lived and cared for this scratch of earth. This can teach us the harmony that Indigenous communities have always shared with nature.
Our individual knowledge does make a difference. If we look past Indigenous stories, they fade away. But when we pay attention, we create a community that values what came before, what lives now, and what shapes tomorrow.
Being a UTM student is a privilege, as we study and live on land that has been cared for by generations long before us. Our campus has the potential to be a living reflection of the admirable spirit embodied by the Mississaugas. Through care and intention in what we do here, we can express our respect in ways that words alone cannot.
