Taylor Swift’s Toronto concert wasn’t just a showcase of music—it was a masterclass in woke virtue signaling. Before hitting her first note, Swift kicked off the night with a “land acknowledgment,” reminding concertgoers that they were standing on “Treaty 13 lands.” That’s right—before the crowd could belt out Anti-Hero, they were treated to a lecture about historical grievances.
They had to shut down downtown Toronto to make way for Taylor Swift’s motorcade. She’s more important than all these Canadian peasants. Hunger Games vibes, anyone? pic.twitter.com/WYD4kyFTQS
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) November 15, 2024
The message, projected on the big screen, acknowledged that the Rogers Centre sits on the treaty lands of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. For those unfamiliar, Treaty 13 refers to the Toronto Purchase of 1805, when the British bought the land from the Mississauga tribe—a transaction liberals today dismiss as part of the “stolen land” narrative. Never mind the historical context or the fact that this was a legal agreement for its time. For the left, it’s always about framing history as one-sided oppression.
Taylor Swift put out a Native American land acknowledgment at her concert tonight. She has single handedly solved injustice. You go girl ✊ pic.twitter.com/q95fTDtf8O
— Cam (@cam0795) November 15, 2024
Land acknowledgments like Swift’s have become the left’s newest favorite ritual. Once reserved for far-left academia or activist circles, this performative guilt has spread like wildfire through corporate boardrooms, public schools, and, of course, Hollywood. The Democratic National Convention even opened with its own acknowledgment this year, declaring the venue sat on lands where Native Americans were “forcibly removed.” Because nothing says “unity” like a heaping dose of historical self-flagellation.
But back to Taylor Swift, who has been leaning into her activist era in recent years. From endorsing Kamala Harris to lauding Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for his abortion stance, Swift has made it clear where she stands politically. That’s her prerogative, but when she uses her platform to indulge in progressive pandering, it feels more like a PR play than genuine conviction.
Taylor Swift, who called “climate change” one of the “horrific situations that we find ourselves facing right now”, sent her private jet from Sydney to Hawaii to pick up her boyfriend and bring him back to Australia, emitting approximately 58 metric tonnes of CO2—the same amount… pic.twitter.com/vI9xoIQaTN
— Wide Awake Media (@wideawake_media) September 15, 2024
And let’s talk about what land acknowledgments accomplish: absolutely nothing. Does reciting a carefully worded statement change history? Does it improve the lives of Native communities today? Or is it just another way for elites to pat themselves on the back while they sell $300 concert tickets? The answer is obvious.
The United States—and Canada, for that matter—are nations built on the hard work of diverse peoples, including Indigenous groups, settlers, and immigrants. Pretending otherwise with performative gestures like this only divides us further. Taylor Swift can sing about love stories and bad breakups all she wants, but when it comes to lecturing fans on “stolen land,” she might want to shake it off.
