SSI’s home is near the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River in the heart of Edmonton, Alberta, which is on Treaty Six territory. Treaty Six is the framework that establishes the terms for sharing this place now, the agreement that locates both traditional and new cultural practices here. We are grateful also to be in the traditional territory of the Papaschase Cree First Nation, where Métis and other First Nations have sojourned and found welcome.

The cultural roots of these communities are deep, growing over thousands of years as successive newcomers to this area shared their cultural traditions. This location has particular resonance for sound studies researchers as they seek to create new forms of sonic expression and explore innovative approaches to historical and contemporary sonic environments.