Decolonizing the place narrative of Guelph: A PhD student’s experience
In my city of Guelph, Indigenous histories and presence have long been erased from public landmarks and heritage markers. The story of Guelph’s founding is that upon a ceremonial felling of a maple tree on April 23rd, 1827, John Galt, the first superintendent of the Canada Company established Guelph as a city. While he did not spend much time in Guelph, John Galt’s name is prominent in city spaces. Often untold are the histories of the Neutral, who were the first known Indigenous people to live in what is now Guelph, and the Mississaugas, who stewarded the land after the Neutrals dispersed due to wars. The Haudenosaunee also shared this land prior to Guelph’s founding. In learning and sharing about these histories of my city, I seek to recognize Indigenous presence in the current day.
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