What is a land acknowledgement?
I am not an expert in Indigenous people history or culture. I am a white woman of European descent trying to learn about the history of oppression my people and I participate in against native people and work towards restoration and autonomy.
A friend introduced me to the concept of a Land Acknowledgement and it galvanized my interest and advocacy. Some native people have created land acknowledgements for local people or businesses to use. These may include a link to a website about the native people as way for those who are interested to assist in efforts to support the sovereignty of native people.
The article, Land acknowledgments meant to honor Indigenous people too often do the opposite – erasing American Indians and sanitizing history instead, showcases the following anthropologists who are leading a task force to recommend improvements to land acknowledgements:
Valerie Lambert of the Choctaw Nation and president of the Association of Indigenous Anthropologists;
Michael Lambert of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and member of the Association of Indigenous Anthropologists; and
EJ Sobo, an American Anthropological Association board member.
Some of their initial suggestions include the following:
"What many Indigenous persons want from a land acknowledgment is, first, a clear statement that the land needs to be restored to the Indigenous nation or nations that previously had sovereignty over the land.
This is not unrealistic: There are many creative ways to take restorative measures and even to give land back, such as by returning U.S. national parks to the appropriate tribes. Following from this, land acknowledgments must reveal a sincere commitment to respecting and enhancing Indigenous sovereignty.
If an acknowledgment is discomforting and triggers uncomfortable conversations versus self-congratulation, it is likely on the right track."
The Atlantic article referenced above, Return U.S. National Parks to the Tribes tells of the gruesome history of how "the American West started with war and ended with national parks." Author David Treuer shares about the concept of restoration:
"Native people need permanent, unencumbered access to our homelands—in order to strengthen us and our communities, and to undo some of the damage of the preceding centuries.
Being Native is not so much a disposition or having a certain amount of blood running through one’s veins as it is a practice around which families and tribes are built. For a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, buying a bison burger at Whole Foods might satisfy their caloric needs, but being able to hunt and harvest bison, in keeping with their spiritual and cultural practices, feeds their culture and community.
Native life was diminished when our land disappeared beneath our feet, and it is further diminished when the manner in which we access “public” lands is scripted by the government."
I use a Land Acknowledgement in my email to share reverence for the indigenous people who were decimated and dispossessed from the land they once occupied. I agree with the Native Governance Center's statement:
“It is important to understand the longstanding history that has brought you to reside on the land, and to seek to understand your place within that history. Land acknowledgements do not exist in a past tense, or historical context: colonialism is a current ongoing process, and we need to build our mindfulness of our present participation.” Northwestern University
In my process to find a Land Acknowledgement, I looked at local examples and began with one from an extracurricular program my children participate in. As someone who is new to learning about the local history of native people, I found it informative and made some updates.
Land Acknowledgement: The land where I live and work exists within the territory of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ (Cayuga Nation). The Cayuga Nation is a member of the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois. I acknowledge the destruction, disbursement and dispossession of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. I recognize a responsibility to learn about this history and support returning U.S. national parks and land to native tribes. I welcome guidance and feedback along the way. If you wish to learn more about the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy please visit the Cayuga Nation (cayuganation-nsn.gov) and Gayogohó:no' Sovereignty (gayogohono.org). You can learn more about land restitution and the Land Back Movement (Global Solidarity) for the solidarity of local tribes.
I pause as I consider how my efforts in addition to the Land Acknowledgement are not enough and look for more ways to restore the sovereignty of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ and other native people. This, like many other parts of my life, is an ongoing action and a practice, not just a plan.
“When we talk about land, land is part of who we are. It’s a mixture of our blood, our past, our current, and our future. We carry our ancestors in us, and they’re around us. As you all do.” - Mary Lyons, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
