The formal and public acknowledgement is an explicit gesture intended to cultivate a mutually beneficial dialogue, which is an essential feature in building an inclusive campus community. We want to acknowledge the history and land, and honour the Indigenous people who continue to love this land here in Waawiyatanong (Detroit, Michigan). oakland university school of health sciences. "Are they ready to give us back our land? In American Indian and Indigenous Studies, we recognize, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigans twelve federally-recognized Indian nations (Bay Mills Indian Community, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Hannahville Indian Community, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, and Sault Ste. Land acknowledgments can be a good way for people to learn more about Indigenous history and can signal respect for tribal nations. If you are looking to make your own land acknowledgement, please use this example to construct your own: I would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe. It is important to note that this kind of acknowledgement is not a new practice developed by colonial institutions. Left to right: Andrea Knutson, Megan Peiser and Ashleigh Dubie doing research while crafting OUs Land Acknowledgement Statement. Native Governance Center, a nonprofit organization that seeks to help tribal nations strengthen their governance systems and their capacity to exercise sovereignty, began developing resources on how to put together a land acknowledgment a few years ago as it noticed more people in the US talking about the issue. But while land acknowledgments are usually well-intentioned, some Indigenous scholars and leaders say that the ways they are sometimes executed by non-Natives can seem hollow, performative and ultimately, problematic. That also means taking the time to research specific names of nations rather than sweeping generalizations, and being cautious of subtext. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Jeff Thomas, Editor-in-ChiefJune 30, 2021. She then sent it to me I posted it on Facebook, and thats when Professor Rajaee responded telling me Tara was a student of hers and that we should talk about getting it formally adopted.. Tangible commitments like displaying the statement on OU websites, integrating it into courses and delivering the land acknowledgement statement at events were all outlined in the email. Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Its very rooted in history, tribal identity, tribal names [and] location, which is what we really wanted, Dubie said. The land acknowledgement passed through the OU Senate on Feb. 18, and was presented to the Board of Trustees on Apr. For anyone interested in advocating for Indigenous people, the main advice from the committee is to find people and collaborate. Though Indigenous communities have practiced land acknowledgments for generations, Westerners have only recently adopted the custom. King wants to see institutions, organizations, or whoever plans on making a land acknowledgment to collaborate with and support Indigenous communities. Megan and Ashleigh both contributed, but [there was still this question of] how do we create this with a larger community having input? We understand that there is an indelible relationship between the creation of Land Grant institutions, the simultaneous and ongoing expropriation of Indigenous Lands, and the governmentally-coordinated genocide against Indigenous peoples. We were absolutely committed to making sure that the land acknowledgement didnt devolve into just rhetoric.. By clicking on each plotted point, you can access basic Land Acknowledgement data: By officially enacting the acknowledgement on May 5, OU joins anumber of public institutions across the country in this step toward the inclusion of Indigenous communities. Im not Indigenous, and Andrea is not. Address: 4705 W Marginal Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106, Tuesday 10AM5PMWednesday 10AM5PMThursday 10AM5PMFriday 10AM5PMSaturday 10AM5PMSunday ClosedMonday Closed. It was presented to the OU Board of Trustees at their April 8 meeting. I really hope that Native issues are centered in classroom conversations and that more students and faculty understand the history of this land and how it continues to impact their own relationships with Native lands. WebThe purpose of a land acknowledgement is to recognize, respect and affirm the ongoing relationship between Indigenous people and the land. But the map only includes the names of those tribes, without the history or context around potentially contested claims to the land. We collectively understand that offering Land Acknowledgements or Land Recognitions do not absolve settler-colonial privilege or diminish colonial structures of violence, at either the individual or institutional level. Land acknowledgements also raise awareness about the Indigenous histories, perspectives and experiences that are often suppressed or forgotten. Required fields are marked *, The people behind OUs Land Acknowledgement Statement, Sault Sainte Marie tribe of Chippewa Indians, American Indian Health and Family Services. WebA land acknowledgment is a traditional custom in many Native communities and nations to show respect to the people of the land since time immemorial. I could see that people are just copying and pasting this stuff without really looking into the details, Necefer tells CNN. Land Acknowledgement Statement Oakland University resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabe, known as the Three Fires Confederacy, comprised of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi. It hasnt ended.. The land was ceded in the 1807 Treaty of Detroit and makes up southeast Michigan. King wants to see institutions, organizations, or whoever plans on making a land acknowledgment to collaborate with and support Indigenous communities. Some Indigenous people say recent land acknowledgments from outside their communities feel hollow. 2. Soon Assistant Professor of English Megan Peiser (tribal affiliation Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) and English STEP student Ashleigh Dubie (tribal affiliation Cherokee) were brought on board. A land acknowledgement can be a few sentences or several pages. Indigenous activists protest the construction of the Line 3 pipeline in Solway, Minnesota on June 7, 2021. -The Title and/or Text of the Land Acknowledgement (if applicable). Likewise, we recognize that parts of what is now Michigan includes Land within the traditional Homelands of the Miami, Meskwaki, Sauk, Kickapoo, Menominee, and other Indigenous nations. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Can you help us research? she says. -Laurier Students Public Interest Research Group, Ontario, Canada. Acknowledgement is a simple way of resisting the erasure of Indigenous histories and working towards honoring and inviting the truth. 350 Estate Drive Here is an additional example of a Duwamish land acknowledgement painted on the side of Seattle Mennonite Church in North Seattle: We at Seattle Mennonite church acknowledge that we are on the unceded ancestral lands of the Duwamish people. And to fully fund them not ask Native faculty to beg for support Allies need to step up and take on that work. Following the 2018 LMDA conference in Toronto -- While Indigenous peoples have practiced land acknowledgments for generations, Westerners have adopted the custom relatively recently as they attempt to reckon with the harms brought on by colonization. If we can understand that, I think the rest will come.. Maudrie had graduated at that point, so Knutson and Rajaee took the next steps of bringing Indigenous voices into the process of progressing the land acknowledgement. ) King wants to see institutions, organizations, or whoever plans on making a land acknowledgment to collaborate with and support Indigenous communities. Eds. The land acknowledgement passed through the OU Senate on Feb. 18, and was presented to the Board of Trustees on Apr. Your acknowledgement should come from the heart, and we cannot provide you with the exact words to use. "A land acknowledgement is an optional statement, often given at the beginning of organized events, celebrations and activities, or published in printed materials," according to the Native American Institute within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University . "The problem is that there are people, groups, institutions and systems that are benefiting from the continued land dispossession of Indigenous peoples while making territorial acknowledgments.". 312 Meadow Brook Rd 48309-4454 As one of the first Land Grant colleges, Michigan State University is a beneficiary of Land allotted through the passing of the Morrill Act in 1862. ), Ashleigh Dubie (Cherokee, English/STEP, student), Megan Peiser (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Asst. -The Institution Type. The next step in the drafting process was collaborating with OUs administration to adjust and advance the land acknowledgement. saidSaulis. Landscapess elements make up the blood, bone, and flesh that animate our bodies. The purpose of this statement of acknowledgement is to remind us to continue to be mindful and respectful of the history of this land. The bottom line in terms of Indigenous land acknowledgments is that its one component that raises awareness about Indigenous peoples here in this country in the United States, Deel-McKenzie says. Following the 2018 LMDA conference in Toronto -- Moreover, we affirm that Michigan State University must support Indigenous communities and nations in Michigan, as well as throughout Turtle Island, and across the Fourth World. Acknowledgement is a simple way of resisting the erasure of Indigenous histories and working towards honoring and inviting the truth. Like King, Saulis said she's personally not a fan of land acknowledgments because of their performative nature. Watch the Baroness von Sketch Show's satirical take on land acknowledgments: King wants to see institutions, organizations, or whoever plans on making a land acknowledgment tocollaborate with and support Indigenous communities. The Morrill Act, which enabled the Land Grant system, was passed in the same year as both the Homestead Actgranting 160 acres to individual settlers who improved and farmed land in the Westand the largest mass hanging in the history of the United States, the state-sanctioned murder of thirty-eight Dakota. The best way to create an appropriate land acknowledgement is to consult and collaborate local Tribal leaders, which Stanford University has donethrough the Native American Cultural Center, the university archaeologist's office, and the university president's office. 8. WebResource Map - Land Acknowledgements. With that bigger picture in mind, this core four of Knutson, Peiser, Rajaee and Dubie continued the delicate work of drafting the statement. It's something he saidhe now regrets. WebThe purpose of a land acknowledgement is to recognize, respect and affirm the ongoing relationship between Indigenous people and the land. -The Institution's/Entity's Name We acknowledge that this land was colonized via the Treaty of Detroit in 1807. Professor, English Dept. Discovery Company. Did you encounter any technical issues? WebThe Universitys endowment was originally funded in significant measure by sale of land granted under Article 16 of the 1817 Treaty of the Foot of the Rapids, also known as the Treaty of Ft. Meigs. CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. By recognizing the ways that settler-colonial institutions benefit from these interconnected histories, we work to hold the University accountable. WebA Land Acknowledgment is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. -Laurier Students Public Interest Research Group, Ontario, Canada. WebResource Map - Land Acknowledgements. of Public Environmental Wellness, Land Acknowledgment Committee), Deborah Vanderlinde (Associate Professor of Music Education, School of Music, Theater, and Dance), Elizabeth Wallis (Cherokee, Associate Dean, University Libraries), Nivedita Mukherji (Interim Associate Provost, Faculty Affairs), Noelle Mongene (Anishinaabe, Graduate Student at OU). For Lambert, the most logical next step is to give the land back. U.S. Department of Arts and Culture: A Guide And Call To Acknowledgement, Teen Vogue: Indigenous Land Acknowledgement, Explained. We pledge to elevate our ways of knowing to better reflect the sustainable practices and peaceful coexistence that has allowed our beloved university to thrive. "There's a sort of historical untangling that's required to do this right, well and in a genuine way," he said. We invite the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability community to actively participate in these acts of respect, by getting to know better the history and present context of the Indigenous communities of the land where you live, study, and work. A shortened land acknowledgement can also be used for email signatures. The statement serves as a reminder that the land we occupy is stolen and that we should honor the Hours, Directions & Parking It feels like a box checking activity, like people are doing it to signal their politics, says Len Necefer, an Indigenous studies scholar and founder and CEO of the apparel and media company NativesOutdoors. But despite the flaws in some land acknowledgments, he and others say they arent suggesting that the practice be done away with altogether. There has to be absolute action behind it," she said. So [there] was a keen awareness that this shouldnt be an acknowledgement thats just driven by non-Indigenous peoples, Rajaee said. and English STEP student Ashleigh Dubie (tribal affiliation, The Land Acknowledgement Committee worked with Deans, , Peiser said. We took a draft and we shared it with [Indigenous] folks and then got feedback and made modifications.. WebLand Acknowledgements Map. The importance of land acknowledgments for non-indigenous individuals and communities relies on the recognition of their relationship to the original inhabitants of a location and to the land. A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes the unique and enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. We recognize that Stanford sits on the ancestral land of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. Reflect on the kind of engagement you have with these groups and recognize your positionality in relation to that land. WebLand Acknowledgements Map. They've become so commonplace that you'll hear land acknowledgments at the start of hockey games, during academic conferencesand even written at the bottom of corporate email signatures. This map represents the location and geographic spread of the entities analyzed through the survey. In other cases, land acknowledgments might refer to stolen land a seemingly well-intentioned phrase designed to convey how Native people were driven from their homes. Check out our land acknowledgment event livestream, and hear his comments at the 27-minute mark. -The Institution Type While the process of getting the statement enacted progressed through the OU administration relatively quickly during the winter semester, years of work went on behind the scenes. Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli, a dance and drum community circle, performs a land acknowledgment in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 8, 2021. Having a Land Acknowledgement is only one step toward building relationships with Native communities. Most of this work was actually teaching educating those in leadership positions who Native Peoples of Michigan are.. A deep understanding of Native peoples past and present informs the teaching, research, and community engagement of the university in its ongoing effort to elevate the dignity of all people and serve as shared stewards of the land. "A land acknowledgment should be an obligation," said King. This statement can be present in your syllabus, read before presentations, or events. Another issue that Deel-McKenzie observed was that many people seemed too caught up in the particulars of the statements wording, without enough consideration on how they planned to support Indigenous communities moving forward. Oakland Center, Suite 150 By officially enacting the acknowledgement on May 5, OU joins a number of public institutions across the country in this step toward the inclusion of Indigenous communities. WebWe recognize that Land Acknowledgements must be preceded and followed with ongoing and unwavering commitments to American Indian and Indigenous communities. The land acknowledgement passed through the OU Senate on Feb. 18, and was presented to the Board of Trustees on Apr. To ensure they achieved their goals, the group made the language tangible by acknowledging specific Indigenous communities and accurately reflecting history. It's also important to keep the wording in the present tense, she said. Many people who use the app tend to approach it as the endpoint rather than the starting point, he adds. 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