Land Acknowledgment
WHY IS INDIGENOUS LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT IMPORTANT?
“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.”
“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)
Beyond Land Acknowledgment from Native Governance Center
WHY CAN LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT BE PROBLEMATIC?
Sometimes, when crafting land acknowledgment statements, non-Indigenous folks ask Indigenous people and communities to do free emotional labor. This can look like asking others to create, edit, or advise on your land acknowledgment statement. When we feel unsure and anxious about something, it’s easy to impulsively reach out for help before doing our own research. Anxiety happens: we’ve all been there. But, it’s important to put those anxious thoughts aside and do your homework. Spend the time that’s required to craft a thoughtful statement.
Emotional labor is problematic because it’s time consuming and can place additional stress on Indigenous people. In addition to normal employment and family obligations, Indigenous people are working to heal their traumas, learn their languages, and support their nations. Most do not want to spend their free time working as unpaid land acknowledgment consultants. If you’ve done all you can on your own and decide to ask for help on a land acknowledgment, offer fair compensation up front. And, be prepared to be told “no.”
Aside from the emotional labor piece, land acknowledgments can have unintended negative consequences. Our organization has received hundreds of inquiries from folks wanting help with their land acknowledgment statements. Almost all of these inquiries have focused on land acknowledgment verbiage, rather than the all-important action steps for supporting Indigenous communities. Every moment spent agonizing over land acknowledgment wording is time that could be used to actually support Indigenous people.
It’s easy for land acknowledgments to become yet another form of optical allyship. They often lack a call to action and next steps. Without these components, land acknowledgments are just empty words. They become an excuse for folks to feel good and move on with their lives without actually contributing anything to the community. As President Robert Larsen of the Lower Sioux Indian Community puts it, “An apology or an acknowledgment is one thing, but what are you going to do next?”
Learn More:
https://nativegov.org/news/beyond-land-acknowledgment-guide/