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Indigenous Initiatives

Since 2011, the City of Kingston has been working to strengthen relations with the local and regional Indigenous communities. Many substantive initiatives began during the Engage for Change project, which started in 2016.

The completed and ongoing projects, policies and programs include: 

  • Symbolic changes - in which Indigenous communities see their cultures represented around Kingston.
  • Substantial changes - such as working together on a permanent Indigenous cultural space.
  • Systemic changes - developing formal protocols. This includes strengthening the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people across the region.

The history of Indigenous Peoples in the Kingston region is complex. It pre-dates how we think of geography in terms of the regional, provincial and national boundary lines that exist today.

For over ten millennia, Indigenous people established temporary encampments and semi-permanent villages of various sizes along the river valleys and lake shores of southern Ontario. The occupants of these sites left no written record of their lives. However, their legacy includes the oral histories and traditions passed on to their descendants. There are also archaeological traces of their settlements across this area.

The region Kingston now occupies has been home to Indigenous Nations and people since time immemorial. Today, it is home to a growing urban population of over 7,000 residents who identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis.

Initiatives

The City of Kingston is committed to working with Indigenous people and all residents to pursue a united path of reconciliation. This page outlines past, ongoing and planned initiatives but there is still more to be done. We acknowledge that reconciliation is a journey with no end date. We must take meaningful action to build and transform our relationship with Indigenous Peoples.

In 2015, staff engaged with Indigenous community members to prepare a brief, respectful recognition statement. Indigenous community members, with the support of City staff, drafted a statement that was then approved for use by City Council. In the tradition of a First Peoples recognition address, the statement is offered at the beginning of Council meetings with the same essence and intent as offering a handshake and saying, “Welcome and thank you for coming”. It is a greeting with meaning and carries with it a sense of responsibility to honour the sincerity of offering welcome. The recognition statement was first offered at Council meetings. After a trial period and further discussion with community members, they recommended that readings be extended to other public meetings.  

Statement: 

  • She:kon [Mohawk word for hello]
  • Aanii [Algonquin word for hello]
  • Boozhoo [Ojibway word for hello]
  • Waychaya [Cree word for hello]
  • Kwey Kwey [Oji-Cree word for hello]
  • Tawnshi [Métis word for hello] 

I offer these words in the spirit of this gathering. Let us bring our good minds and hearts together as one, to honour and celebrate these traditional lands as a gathering place of the Original Peoples and their Ancestors who were entrusted to care for Mother Earth since time immemorial. It is with deep humility that we acknowledge and offer our gratitude for their contributions to this community, having respect for all as we share this space now and walk side-by-side into the future. 

In 2015, staff completed the Kingston First Peoples: Purposeful Dialogues report. Its purpose was to better understand the needs, issues and concerns of local urban Indigenous community members. The report included 15 recommendations that community members wanted the City of Kingston to address over a 10-year period. These recommendations called on the City to create inclusive policies, protocols and programs that promote Indigenous history and cultural knowledge sharing, as well as wider visibility and a voice in community spaces. In response to these recommendations, the City launched the Engage for Change project. 

In 2021, Kingston City Council adopted a recommendation to recognize Sept. 30 as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and re-affirmed its commitment to share the stories of residential school survivors, their families and communities. The City also declared it a day of municipal observance. This was to ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process. Staff are encouraged to spend Sept. 30 each year learning and reflecting on the impact of residential schools and how to move reconciliation forward.

This action responds to recommendation #80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.

In 2021, after 215 Indigenous children were found buried in unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, Indigenous community organizers began a sacred fire in Confederation Park in Kingston to allow community to come together and grieve. Soon after, to support Indigenous community and resident requests for park bookings, Council voted to waive park booking fees to accommodate requests from Indigenous community organizers to access park spaces for ceremonial fires and cultural gatherings. Sacred fires have continued in Confederation Park monthly ever since. As a result of this policy, the City has been able to support other ceremonial fires and cultural gatherings across Kingston.

Additionally, staff support and invest in community and partner-led National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations among other events.

The City established the Indigenous Initiatives Office in early 2025. It will build on the work already underway within the City and the broader community. It will provide leadership, direction and support as the City implements a range of priorities. This includes the City’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, and the continuation of work begun under the Engage for Change Project. This is also work that Council included in its Strategic Priorities.

Engage for Change and support for a cultural gathering space 

The Engage for Change: #YGK Reconciliation Journey project began in 2016. It was a three-phased program to re-frame and transform the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Kingston. The project focused on history, knowledge and culture. It integrated Indigenous identities, voices, languages and cultures. It also positioned the City’s contemporary community story within an inclusive historical context. The project created space for learning and understanding between communities. The programs included inclusive dialogue, education, celebration and performances.

The first phase of the project focused on learning through inclusive dialogue, celebration and performances. Much of the engagement took place through a series of community-based talking circles. It also included a year-long project involving grades 7 and 8 students across Kingston. Reconciliation was the focus of these initiatives.

Phase I was well received and achieved most of the action items. It became clear that more work was needed to strengthen relations with Indigenous people in Kingston. Phase II began in 2018. It focused on hearing the needs of the local Indigenous community to identify priority areas for action.

The City engaged with the community around an Indigenous cultural centre and supported community-led programming and educational training partnerships. City departments worked together to align internal work plans and policies.

Throughout the Engage for Change project, the community often referenced the strength of the community member initiated Kingston Indigenous Languages Nest (KILN). KILN started as an Indigenous-led, community-based, volunteer organization. It was founded in 2013, after the closing of the Friendship Centre, with a focus on language revitalization. Three grandmothers formed the Board of Directors in 2019. At that time, KILN was able to hire their first-ever employee.

In 2020, Council approved the third and final phase of the Engage for Change project. It included support from Council to create a community gathering/cultural space. This support was a substantive outcome of Engage for Change and discussions throughout the duration of the project. In late 2021, City Council approved the first Service Level Agreement (SLA) with KILN. The SLA supports Indigenous language programming, land-based cultural teaching, as well as smaller community events and gatherings. At that time, Council also approved leasing the City-owned property at 610 Montreal St. for $1 per year. In 2023, KILN applied for and were granted friendship centre status under the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC). It then became Kingston Native Centre and Language Nest (KNCLN). The City has approved SLAs with KILN and then KNCLN annually since 2021.

In 2024, the City supported KNCLN in temporarily moving to an alternate City property at 218 Concession St. This move was necessary as KNCLN’s home base at 610 Montreal St. is now undergoing major renovations. The renovation funding includes $2.5 million from the City and $2.35 million from the Government of Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program. The City, KNCLN and CSV Architects worked together to design a purpose-built space for Indigenous programming, learning and gathering. Work on 610 Montreal St. started in summer 2025.

This project responds to recommendation #62 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.

Your Stories, Our Histories

The Your Stories, Our Histories public engagement project was designed to prompt community conversation about how the City of Kingston represents local history through its work. It was also meant to capture input about stories/histories that are less well-known or less frequently shared. The work began in 2018 and included multiple engagement opportunities. The project fostered dialogue on a range of themes and issues and gathered input from a diversity of Kingston residents.

Dealing with the legacy of Sir John A. Macdonald in a Kingston context was a facet of the Your Stories, Our Histories project. A working group was formed that included Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members. Its mandate was to consider the history and legacy of Sir John A. Macdonald. They worked together to develop interpretive text that addressed issues and advise City Council on how to move forward. There were also opportunities for the broader community to provide their input.

A specific outcome of the project was the naming of the Waaban Crossing, Kingston’s largest infrastructure project. This was in recognition of the Indigenous presence in the area since time immemorial. It is also a counterbalance to the dominant historical narrative that defined Kingston for so long. Learn more about the Waaban Crossing.

Artworks, exhibits and programs

The City works with Indigenous artists to share through various forms of art. This may include exhibits, public art, music and other cultural experiences. These programs invite the non-Indigenous community to reflect and learn through an artistic lens.

In 2018, the City launched the Grand OnStage Elder in Residence/Traditional Knowledge Keeper initiative for Grand OnStage, the City’s performing arts presenting program. The City released a call for an Elder in Residence/Traditional Knowledge Keeper who is able to share his or her knowledge and traditional teachings and offer cultural support to patrons and artists. Learn more about the Elder in Residence Initiative.

Alderville First Nation Commemoration Project, Lake Ontario Park, 2021

The "Manidoo Ogitigan" ("Spirit Garden") by Indigenous artist Terence Radford was created to help tell the story of the Alderville First Nation, which in 1837 was relocated from the Kingston area to a 1,450-hectare (3,600-acre) site near Rice Lake in Alnwick Township north of Cobourg. The garden was unveiled in 2021 and is meant to be a link between the Alderville First Nation and its history in Kingston.  

Learn more about "Manidoo Ogitigan".

Rideau Heights Community Centre, 2024 

A community arts mural was commissioned by staff at the Rideau Heights Community Centre. The mural is titled "Wahkohtowin", which is a Cree word that expresses the interconnected nature of relationships, communities and natural systems.

Learn more about "Wahkohtown".

Heritage Services

The City works with local and regional Indigenous communities to commemorate their histories and cultural heritage. Curators and program staff support the development of programs created by the community. These programs share Indigenous cultural knowledge in museum spaces, programs, collections and exhibits.

Heritage Services is proud to support and collaborate on Indigenous-led programming that brings language, culture, and community knowledge into public spaces. Recent initiatives at the MacLachlan Woodworking Museum include a Haudenosaunee pottery workshop with artist Sheldon Travis and the Ohne:ka Paddle Board Program with Natasha Darling, which brought land and water-based teachings to life through storytelling and movement.

The Civic Collection is proud to steward several Indigenous artworks that reflect the rich and diverse heritage of Indigenous communities. A significant feature of the collection is a set of seven stone-cut prints from Kinngait (Cape Dorset). It was created by renowned Inuit artists Pudlo Pudlat, Kenojuak Ashevak, Aggeok Pitseolak, Lucy Quinnuayuak, and Pitaloosie Saila. These works were generously donated to the City by the Art Collection Society of Kingston. They represent the powerful storytelling and visual traditions of Inuit art.

The collection also includes a striking whale bone sculpture entitled The Dancing Bear, by an unknown artist. This piece further contributes to the Indigenous artistic expression within the Civic Collection.

The Art of Survival was a powerful 2023 exhibition. It brought together over 30 local, national and international artists and collectives who created artwork while incarcerated in women’s institutions or while on parole. The Prison for Women Memorial Collective and Sheena Hoszko, in collaboration with the City, curated the exhibition. It served as a moving tribute to those who lived and died inside women’s prisons across Canada.

Indigenous artists played a central role in The Art of Survival. They shared works that were deeply rooted in cultural memory, spiritual healing and resistance. Their contributions highlighted the disproportionate impact of incarceration on Indigenous communities. Their works offered powerful expressions of survival, identity and reclamation. Through beadwork, storytelling and traditional practices, these artists challenged colonial narratives and honoured the strength of their communities.

Located on the former site of the Sir John A. Macdonald statue, the Medicine Garden is a space of healing and reflection. It was created in collaboration with the Kingston Native Centre and Language Nest. Established in response to community calls for reconciliation, the garden features red, white, black and yellow planters—colours of the Indigenous medicine wheel. The medicine wheel symbolizes balance across emotional, spiritual, mental and physical well-being. It also honours the four sacred medicines: Tobacco, Sage, Cedar and Sweetgrass.

The Your Stories, Our Histories project highlighted the importance of telling community-led stories. Several architectural niches in City Hall provide space for small exhibits developed with community partners.

Heritage Services staff worked with KNCLN to develop an exhibit on display from May 2025 to May 2026. It tells the story of the organization’s origin and its development into a vibrant Indigenous Friendship Centre. It also displays its ongoing commitment to Indigenous language revitalization and cultural resurgence.

A new niche case exhibit will be installed in May 2026 that features historical research, artifacts, and stories curated by Cataraqui Longhouse Education and Archival Research (C.L.E.A.R.).

Future Initiatives

City Council reaffirmed the City’s commitment to reconciliation through a series of strategic goals included in the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan. Those initiatives include: 

  • Develop a localized, urban Indigenous land trust model and identify land for transfer
  • Develop an Urban Indigenous Engagement Strategy
  • Adopt a Nation-to-City Relationship Protocol
  • Create dedicated spaces within select City parks for Indigenous-led sacred and ceremonial fires. 

Check the status of each of these Strategic Priorities.  

Additional Resources

Contact Us

City of Kingston
City Hall
216 Ontario Street
Kingston, ON K7L 2Z3
Canada
contactus@cityofkingston.ca
Phone: 613-546-0000

The City of Kingston acknowledges that we are on the traditional homeland of the Anishinabek, Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat, and thanks these nations for their care and stewardship over this shared land.

Today, the City is committed to working with Indigenous peoples and all residents to pursue a united path of reconciliation.

Learn more about the City's reconciliation initiatives.

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