Ground UP Dance Festival

The Ground UP Dance Festival and Movement Market Collective acknowledges that our work takes place on the traditional territories of the Algonquin, Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Huron-Wendat and is home to Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, one of ten communities that make up the Algonquins of Ontario. We acknowledge the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte and recognize that our region is home to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit from across Turtle Island, as well as Indigenous Peoples from other areas of the world.

In order to be honest and truthful, we must acknowledge the violent effects of colonialism on Indigenous people, their languages, and the legitimacy of their knowledge.  By collaborating with these nations and peoples, we strengthen our roles as artists.  It is the mission of platforms like The Ground UP Dance Festival and the artists involved to better communicate the values learned from the history of these traditional territories through how we can engage, work, and share dance.