The offices of the Stephen Lewis Foundation are located on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We acknowledge all Indigenous Nations who were, are, and will continue to be in relationship with this territory traditionally named Tkaronto.

The land that the City of Toronto sits on is included in Treaty 13 and Treaty 13A signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and the Williams Treaty signed between the Governments of Canada and Ontario and seven different First Nations communities.  The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action reaffirms that the Treaties with Indigenous Peoples must be lawfully honoured.  We are all treaty peoples and are responsible for honouring and upholding those agreements.

As an organization, the Stephen Lewis Foundation acknowledges that our presence here is a direct outcome of the settler, colonial state whose policies of expulsion from the land and cultural genocide continue to impact Indigenous communities today. The Stephen Lewis Foundation also acknowledges that oppressive and inequitable socio-economic and political systems in Canada continue to perpetuate this legacy of racism, intergenerational trauma, and structural inequality, and that this legacy is directly linked to the disproportionate impact of HIV on Indigenous communities within Canada.

The Stephen Lewis Foundation is committed to the principles of social justice, equality, and solidarity with our African community-based partners as they face the continued effects of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa.  Consistent with those values, the SLF commits to a journey of ongoing learning, reflection, relationship building, and solidarity with Indigenous communities in Canada.