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A Brantford city councillor is pushing back against land acknowledgements after declaring during a recent council meeting that he no longer supports the practice.

Councillor Greg Martin said he opposes land acknowledgements because he believes they amount to “virtue signalling” and fail to reflect the full history of treaty agreements.

“I don't believe in land acknowledgement. I think it's virtue signalling,” Martin told the council. “It has to be a two-way street.”

Martin argued that many land acknowledgements focus exclusively on Indigenous land claims while overlooking the fact that some lands were sold, traded or exchanged through treaties and other agreements. He also questioned why treaty rights held by non-Indigenous Canadians are rarely recognized in the same discussions.

“What about my treaty rights?” Martin asked. “They do nothing to acknowledge that some of the land was sold. Some of the land was traded for services.”

The comments were made during a council debate and are now part of the municipality's official record.

Martin's remarks come amid broader discussions about the role of land acknowledgements, which have become commonplace at government meetings, schools and public events across Canada.

He argued that treaties were built on reciprocal agreements and obligations between parties and that public discussions about Canada's history should reflect that complexity. Martin said he will not support future land acknowledgements unless that broader context is recognized.