Our Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, LÅ«naapéewak and Attawandaron peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous peoples (e.g. First Nations, Métis and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society. Our own settler history extends to Toronto, Ontario which is situated on the Traditional Territories of the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Métis, the Mississauguas of the Scugog, Hiawatha, and the Alderville First Nation. The treaty that was signed for this parcel of land is collectively referred to as the Williams Treaties of 1923. We are privileged to learn, work, and make music on these lands. This acknowledgement is our small contribution towards reconciliation however actionable change that will serve and prioritize Indigenous communities is crucial. We encourage you all to continuously educate yourself on the Indigenous communities of these lands.
Cynthia Lê
Cynthia Lê is a violist going into her third year at Western University, pursuing a Bachelor of Music and hopes to focus in the field of music education. This goal has led her to opportunities such as teaching with Whispering River Music and the National Music Camp of Canada. Previous musical endeavours include the Western360 Chamber Music Festival and playing with the University of Toronto Scarborough String Orchestra. Most recently, she has played in the Thomastik-Infeld Canadian String Orchestra and currently performs with the Whispering River Orchestra and Western Symphony Orchestra. At Western, she stays involved with her school, she sits on the Faculty of Music Student’s Council as AVP Equity and Accessibility, Music Education Student’s Association, and EDI-D Task Force. Cynthia is currently under the instruction of Sharon Wei.
Sara Shifaw
Sara Shifaw is a pre-service educator and vocalist going into her fourth year at Western University. Sara is pursuing a Bachelor of Music with specialization in education. Her experience navigating through Ontario’s education system as a Black identifying Ethiopian Canadian has resulted in her advocacy work. Sara currently sits on Western’s Don Wright Faculty of Music’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusions, and De-colonization Task Force and has been elected as the Vice-President of Student Experience and Advocacy on the Faculty of Music Student Council. She translates her educational experiences studying at a predominantly White institution and produces pieces that spark deeper level thinking on topics such as equity in education, the student experience of racialized students, and elitism in education. Sara’s virtual audio walk One Click Away guides audience members through educational resources that discuss anti-Black racism in London, Ontario through a creative medium. This work was shared at CityStudio London’s HUBUB event and can be accessed on CBC London, ON Radio where she discussed the project. More recently she has developed They Said This Would Be Fun – A Sonic Poetic, Realization which she co-presented at the recent conference titled Sound, Meaning, Education Conversations. Sara strives to make positive contributions towards shaping an education system that ensures equity for all students.
Special Thank You
Thank you to Dr. Cathy Benedict and Dr. Patrick Schmidt for their ongoing support throughout this project. They have met with us continuously throughout this summer and helped us think through the nuances of our research. We are grateful for all their guidance.
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We also extend our thanks to Western University and the Don Wright Faculty of Music for the opportunity to participate in the Undergraduate Summer Research Internship as well as the generous grant we received through the internship from Western University.