Building Belonging is located on the traditional territories of the Mississauga and Haudenosaunee nations, and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy and Confederacy of the Ojibwe and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. In keeping with this agreement, we exist mindful of the seven sacred teachings and recognize we are stewards of this small space on Turtle Island.

…Further, Nicole Virgin’s ancestors arrived on these lands through the Underground Railroad, fleeing the horrors of institutionalized slavery. Over the course of 400 years, more than 15 million souls of African descent were kidnapped, sold and enslaved as part of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Nicole is a 5th generation African Canadian committed to expanding the practice anti-racism and revealing the ongoing ravages of white supremacy.