DEFSEC West, taking place at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre is located in Calgary’s downtown core, which is on Treaty 7 lands. The Calgary area, where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet, is a place of con­fluence where the sharing of ideas and opportunities naturally come together.

Indigenous peoples have their own names for this area that have been in use long before Scottish settlers named this place Calgary. The Métis call the Calgary area Otos-kwunee. In the Blackfoot language, they call this place, Moh’kinstsis. The Îethka Nakoda Wîcastabi refer to the Calgary area as Wicispa Oyade and the people of the Tsuut’ina nation call this area Guts’ists’i.

We appreciate and acknowledge that we live, work, and play on the ancestral and traditional territories of the Blackfoot confederacy, made up of the Siksika, Piikani, Amskaapipiikani and Kainai First Nations; the Îethka Nakoda Wîcastabi First Nations, comprised of the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations; and the Tsuut’ina First Nation.

The City of Calgary is also homeland to the historic Northwest Métis and to the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, Métis Nation Battle River Territory (Nose Hill Métis District 5 and Elbow Métis District 6).

We acknowledge all Indigenous people who have made Calgary their home.