'Territories we stand upon across Turtle Island': Toronto Blue Jays open MLB season with land acknowledgement

'Territories we stand upon across Turtle Island': Toronto Blue Jays open MLB season with land acknowledgement



For the third straight year, Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays opened its season at home with an acknowledgement that the team is actually playing on Indigenous land.

It is also the fourth season the team has included land acknowledgements at home games. Since late September 2021, the Blue Jays organization — along with pro teams the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs — has declared before games that Rogers Centre is actually on the "traditional territory" of native people.

This declaration was made around the time Canada recognized National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a holiday in the country, which was previously known as Orange Shirt Day, and was celebrated as such by the Toronto sports teams, per the National Post.

The Blue Jays has recognized that its organization is "based on Treaty 13 lands – traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit," its website has described. It also recognizes that the team is "located on the traditional home of many other nations including the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewa, and Wendat Peoples."

Anishinaabeg, for example, is not a specific tribe, rather it is a series of tribes grouped seemingly for the purpose of referring to the region around the Great Lakes in the United States and Canada, typically for political activism.

"We are honored to work with and learn from communities all across this country now referred to as Canada," the official acknowledgement continued. "Therefore, we want to acknowledge all First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples whose original and treaty territories we stand upon across Turtle Island (aka, North America)."

In honour of Orange Shirt Day, a land acknowledgement and artwork by Philip Cote – an artist and Ancestral Knowledge Keeper from Moose Deer Point First Nation – has been installed at Rogers Centre outside at Gate 15 and inside at Section 102. pic.twitter.com/em2NFA6O5k
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 30, 2021

The more recent iteration of the land acknowledgment varies greatly from that of 2021, which was authored by a Canadian "artist and Ancestral Knowledge Keeper."

This rendition included acknowledgement of "our Mother the Earth" and the "Seven Grandfather teachings: Wisdom, Bravery, Respect, Honesty, Truth, Humility, and Love."

It also made sure to acknowledge the "medicine wheel and its teachings," in addition to the four cardinal directions and all four seasons.

The Blue Jays organization has certainly worked in a series of political dedications as part of its ongoing reconciliation project.

This has included providing "anti-racism awareness and training programs" and adhering to the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

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MLB pitcher who apologized for post supporting Target, Bud Light boycotts will catch ceremonial first pitch for team's Pride Night

MLB pitcher who apologized for post supporting Target, Bud Light boycotts will catch ceremonial first pitch for team's Pride Night



Major League Baseball pitcher Anthony Bass will reportedly catch the ceremonial first pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays when they kick off their weekend of gay pride celebrations, according to multiple sources.

Bass recently apologized after sharing content on social media that advocated for Christians to boycott Target, Bud Light, and other entities pushing pro-LGBT ideology.

The player said that his post had hurt the "pride community," which he said includes some of his friends and relatives. He said that he had also apologized to his teammates and that he is "using the Blue Jays' resources to better educate" himself.

"Plan is for Anthony Bass to catch the first pitch at the #BlueJays game tomorrow on Pride Weekend[.] Another player likely to catch first pitch Saturday, details TBD," said Ben Nicholson-Smith, a reporter for Sportsnet in Canada.

\u201cPlan is for Anthony Bass to catch the first pitch at the #BlueJays game tomorrow on Pride Weekend\n\nAnother player likely to catch first pitch Saturday, details TBD\u201d
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@Ben Nicholson-Smith) 1686261525

Bass reportedly met with the executive director of Toronto's Pride organization for a one-hour conversation and said that he is "in a better place moving forward" after speaking to the activist.

"He was glad to see that I apologized," Bass said. "He just informed me about the Pride community and a lot of the good things that they're doing to spread awareness and make people feel comfortable with their decisions."

The MLB published a lengthier set of explanations from Bass, recapping his newly found understanding of wrongdoing the day before his June 9, 2023, penance.

“What I’ve learned through this process, especially representing an organization in the Toronto Blue Jays and a community, is that my focus from the get-go should have been doing my job and being accepting of everyone’s decisions and views in life,” Bass told reporters.

“Through this process, I’ve learned that. Moving forward, I will definitely know better than to post my personal beliefs on my social media platforms," Bass added. However, the pitcher said he still stands by his beliefs.

"I stand by my personal beliefs ... and everyone is entitled to their personal beliefs, right? Also, I mean no harm towards any groups of people. I felt like taking that down a second time was the right thing to do and not be a distraction to this team. Our job is to win baseball games and that’s my focus," he clarified.

\u201cHe will then be forced to wear S&M gear in the local pride parade, after which he will be recorded singing "YMCA" at full volume while dressed as RuPaul. It is the only fitting punishment for his blasphemy.\u201d
— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1686318455

Bass will take part in the ceremony as the Toronto Blue Jays celebrate their first Pride night of the year with a rainbow flag-themed jersey, given to the first 15,000 willing attendees.

The team also appears to be promoting a team of drag queens for their weekend celebration as well.

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