Land Acknowledgement
Race & Pedagogy Institute's
Land Acknowledgement
Land Acknowledgement
We begin this session with the heartfelt acknowledgement of the Puyallup nation on whose land we stand. Despite being the targets of invasion, occupation and displacement leading to centuries of trauma, the Puyallup people have extended to us the courtesy of a welcome to their home. We are guests and beneficiaries of this welcome, through this acknowledgment we signal our participation in reimagining the social constructs between native people and the rest of us who have shown up through different routes to these native nations. Our solidarity is with Native people and their efforts to end generations of historical trauma. Breathe in the beauty of these settings beside the Salish Sea. As guests, do take every opportunity for learning and growth, but please do so with an awareness of the living heritage of the land on which we stand.
This statement was adapted from the Race Matters Lecture Series of Summer 2020
Developed by Dr. Dexter Gordon, Dr. Grace Livingston, and Binah McCloud of Chief Leschi schools, and RPI community partners
Tacoma Public Schools'
Land Acknowledgement
Land Acknowledgement
Tacoma Public Schools acknowledges that we are on the traditional ancestral and historical lands of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.
We honor with gratitude the land itself and the Puyallup Tribe. This acknowledgement serves as a first step in honoring our nearest tribal neighbors and partners who have inhabited this region since time immemorial, and whom we give thanks for allowing us passage to their lands. We shall intentionally create inclusive and respectful partnerships that honor Indigenous cultures, histories, identities, and sociopolitical realities.
What is the purpose of land acknowledgements?
Land acknowledgements are an important recognition of and commitment to Indigenous people who have been on the land since time immemorial and maintain stewardship of their land and cultures, while recognizing the ongoing occupation of the places we live and work. As Land acknowledgements have becoming more common practice in some communities, issues of performativity or lack of relationship with Indigenous communities must be interrogated and discussed.
Below are some examples of land acknowledgements as well as resources that discuss the complex impacts and implications of land acknowledgements.
Land acknowledgement created by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Language Department shared in Twulshootseed the language spoken by the Puyallup, Suquamish, Duwamish, Nisqually, and Squaxin Island tribes of the South Salish Sea.
Binah Mcloud.mp4Binah McCloud of Chief Leschi Schools speaking at the 2018 Race & Pedagogy National Conference in Tacoma, WA.
Discussion begins @4:33
Questions discussed: What is a land acknowledgement? Why should you do them? Why are they important? What do they actually signal? When I make a land acknowledgment, how do I benefit native people?
A Conversation about Land Acknowledgements
This conversation hosted by the Field Museum on Indigenous Peoples Day discusses land acknowledgements and the complex issues surrounding them. The indigenous panelists discuss the impacts (and lack of impact) that land acknowledgements can make.