Entertainment
Taylor Swift displays land acknowledgement at Toronto concerts
Pop star Taylor Swift took a moment to recognize Indigenous people with a land acknowledgement at her Toronto concerts this week.
Swift kicked off the final leg of her long-running Eras Tour at the Rogers Centre on Thursday. Before she hit the stage, a massive sign appeared on the main screen which read:
“We acknowledge that we are performing today at Rogers Centre, located on Treaty 13 lands — traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit and the traditional home of many other nations including the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewa, and Wendat peoples. We acknowledge the First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples whose original and treaty territories we stand upon.”
According to the City of Toronto, land acknowledgements provide time for reflection and offer recognition to the “enduring presence and resilience of Indigenous peoples in this area for time immemorial.”
“It involves thinking about what happened in the past and what changes can be made going forward in order to further the reconciliation process,” according to an official bulletin on the City’s website.
Swift also displayed a land acknowledgement at her shows in Australia, but it is unclear if they were displayed at any of her other concerts across North America.
The move elicited strong feelings from conservative pundits like Fox News’ Jessie Watters, who blasted Swift for not “adapting to the new political reality.”
“Taylor, not sure if you saw the news, but Trump won. We don’t have to do that anymore,” the Primetime host quipped.
However, some Swifities from First Nations communities say they feel validated and proud of the singer for recognizing Treaty 13 lands.
“I felt so seen, which is all that matters to me,” one Swifitie said in a video posted to TikTok. “I hope that other girls like me [feel] acknowledged.”