Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that the land that Fleming College Toronto is on is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.

Fleming College Toronto has settled on this land and recognizes the importance of respecting the voices and history of all Indigenous communities. This territory is within the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabe and allied nations to share and care for the regions around the Great Lakes. We are grateful to work on this land.

Indigenous Learners

Fleming College has a long history of supporting Indigenous learners and has relied on its Indigenous Education Council (an advisory committee made up of local Indigenous leaders) for more than two decades. Simultaneously, both Fleming’s Indigenous Academics and support services have continued to grow. In December of 2015, Fleming College formally committed to Indigenous education by signing the Colleges and Institutes Canada Indigenous Education Protocol.

Honour Song and the Drum: A Gift to Fleming College Toronto Graduates

To recognize this heritage and close relationship, the Fleming College Toronto community would like to honour and provide a gift to our students with a tribute of an Honour Song conducted by the Drum.

It is a privilege to include Indigenous Peoples as an important part of the Convocation celebrations at Fleming College Toronto.

Honour Song

The sharing of the honour song honours all the hard work and accomplishments of our students graduating today. Our students are led on their new journey and through the following stages of their lives by the honour song. We respectfully request that you stand through the entirety of the honour song.

Chi-Miigwech!

The Drum

Gchi-Dewegan (Big Heartbeat

O’dewegan – “Drum” represents all life.

Sound Maker)

The O’dewegan “Drum” is used in ceremonies, festivals, celebrations, and funerals.

There are different styles of drums that are used for different ceremonies. Every nation across Turtle Island (the name of North America given by Indigenous peoples) has their own teachings of the drum.

The drum plays the first sound you hear as a living being. Before you are born, the first sound you hear is your mother’s heartbeat. The drum represents the heartbeat of the earth, the mother of all.

Let the Deed Shaw – The Fleming Crest Moto

In today's language, the motto on the Fleming crest means "Let the deed show" or “Let actions speak for themselves.” This motto inscribed on the Fleming family crest remains as true as ever.

Our College namesake, Sandford Fleming, arrived in Peterborough in 1845 at age 18. By applying his talents and knowledge, he helped shape this country and the world. His accomplishments include designing the first map of Peterborough and Canada’s first postage stamp. A surveyor and planner of Canada’s first railway, he also introduced Standard Time to the world. As the institution bearing his name, we strive to bring the same innovative spirit to applied education, believing that it’s not just what you know, but how you put it to use.