{"id":2264,"date":"2020-11-25T12:04:54","date_gmt":"2020-11-25T21:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nativecouncil.org\/natrec\/?p=2264"},"modified":"2020-11-25T12:04:54","modified_gmt":"2020-11-25T21:04:54","slug":"land-acknowledgements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nativecouncil.org\/natrec\/?p=2264","title":{"rendered":"Land Acknowledgements"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Why are <a href=\"https:\/\/grist.org\/fix\/acknowledging-indigenous-land-is-the-first-step-in-taking-better-care-of-it\/\">Land Acknowledgements<\/a> important?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<blockquote><p>A\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nativegov.org\/a-guide-to-indigenous-land-acknowledgment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">land acknowledgement<\/a>\u00a0highlights the ongoing stewardship by Indigenous peoples, uplifts Indigenous voices, and helps audiences and institutions reconsider their roles within a broader community. It\u2019s a sign of respect that\u2019s common in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, tribal nations, and increasingly in the U.S. It\u2019s also a step toward recognizing that multiple perspectives are needed to address climate change.<\/p>\n<p>Nikoosh Carlo<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/grist.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/indigenous-land-acknowledgement.jpg?w=1024&amp;h=576&amp;crop=1\" alt=\"Indigenous land acknowledgement\" width=\"623\" height=\"351\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>According to the Native Governance Center,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt 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.\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.northwestern.edu\/native-american-and-indigenous-peoples\/about\/Land%20Acknowledgement.html\">Northwestern University<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we talk about land, land is part of who we are. It\u2019s a mixture of our blood, our past, our current, and our future. We carry our ancestors in us, and they\u2019re around us. As you all do.\u201d Mary Lyons (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe)<\/p>\n<h2><strong>TIPS FOR CREATING AN INDIGENOUS LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT STATEMENT<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>Key components:<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Start with self-reflection.<\/strong>\u00a0Before starting work on your land acknowledgment statement, reflect on the process:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Why am I doing this land acknowledgment? (If you\u2019re hoping to inspire others to take action to support Indigenous communities, you\u2019re on the right track. If you\u2019re delivering a land acknowledgment out of guilt or because\u00a0<em>everyone else<\/em>\u00a0is doing it, more self-reflection is in order.)<\/li>\n<li>What is my end goal? (What do you hope listeners will do after hearing the acknowledgment?)<\/li>\n<li>When will I have the largest impact? (Think about your timing and audience, specifically.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Do your homework.<\/strong>\u00a0Put in the time necessary to research the following topics:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Indigenous people to whom the land belongs.<\/li>\n<li>The history of the land and any related treaties.<\/li>\n<li>Names of living Indigenous people from these communities. If you\u2019re presenting on behalf of your work in a certain field, highlight Indigenous people who currently work in that field.<\/li>\n<li>Indigenous place names and language.<\/li>\n<li>Correct pronunciation for the names of the Tribes, places, and individuals that you\u2019re including.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Use appropriate language.<\/strong>\u00a0Don\u2019t sugarcoat the past. Use terms like\u00a0<em>genocide<\/em>,\u00a0<em>ethnic cleansing<\/em>,\u00a0<em>stolen land<\/em>, and\u00a0<em>forced removal<\/em>\u00a0to reflect actions taken by colonizers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Use past, present, and future tenses.<\/strong>\u00a0Indigenous people are still here, and they\u2019re thriving.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/illuminatives.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/MessageGuide-Allies-screen-spreads.pdf\">Don\u2019t treat them as a relic of the past<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Land acknowledgments shouldn\u2019t be grim.<\/strong>\u00a0They should function as living celebrations of Indigenous communities. Ask yourself, \u201cHow am I leaving Indigenous people in a stronger, more empowered place because of this land acknowledgment?\u201d Focus on the positivity of who Indigenous people are today.<\/p>\n<h3>Additional factors to consider:<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Don\u2019t ask an Indigenous person to deliver a \u201cwelcome\u201d statement for your organization.<\/strong>\u00a0Cantemaza McKay (Spirit Lake Nation) explains this very clearly. Check out<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nativegov\/videos\/496079564277950\/\">\u00a0our land acknowledgment event livestream<\/a>, and hear his comments at the 27-minute mark.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Build real, authentic relationships with Indigenous people.<\/strong>\u00a0In addition to normal employment and family obligations, Indigenous people are working to heal their traumas, learn their languages, and support their nations. If you reach out for help, lead the conversation by asking an Indigenous person what you can do for them. Chances are, they\u2019re likely overworked and could use\u00a0<em>your<\/em>\u00a0help.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Compensate Indigenous people for their emotional labor.<\/strong>\u00a0If you do plan to reach out to an Indigenous person or community for help, compensate them fairly. Too often, Indigenous people are asked to perform emotional labor for free.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Understand displacement and how that plays into land acknowledgment.<\/strong>\u00a0Land acknowledgment is complicated. Remember that the United States government displaced many Tribes from land before treaties were signed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>There are many types of land acknowledgments.<\/strong>\u00a0Don\u2019t expect to find a specific formula or template. Land acknowledgments that come from Indigenous people vs. non-Indigenous people look different, too.<\/p>\n<h3>Take action:<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Land acknowledgment alone is not enough.<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s merely a starting point. Ask yourself: how do I plan to take action to support Indigenous communities? Some examples of ways to take action:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Support Indigenous organizations by donating your time and\/or money.<\/li>\n<li>Support Indigenous-led grassroots change movements and campaigns. Encourage others to do so.<\/li>\n<li>Commit to returning land.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/resourcegeneration.org\/land-reparations-indigenous-solidarity-action-guide\/\">Local, state, and federal governments around the world are currently returning land to Indigenous people. Individuals are returning their land, too.<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/0BznGM1zCsJPKeWZDdEpOMUVMeXBiYjlJTkpyODZyWGRwS3lB\/view\">\u00a0Learn more about your options to return your land<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>At the end of the day, remember:<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Starting somewhere is better than not trying at all.<\/strong>\u00a0We need to share in Indigenous peoples\u2019 discomfort. They\u2019ve been uncomfortable for a long time. Dr. Kate Beane (Flandreau Santee Dakota and Muskogee Creek) says, \u201cWe have to try. Starting out with good intentions and a good heart is what matters most.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nativegov.org\/resources\/\">our resources page<\/a>\u00a0for more helpful land acknowledgment tools! And read our own land acknowledgment statement:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nativegov.org\/our-story\/the-land-we-are-on\/\">The Land We\u2019re On<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why are Land Acknowledgements important? A\u00a0land acknowledgement\u00a0highlights the ongoing stewardship by Indigenous peoples, uplifts Indigenous voices, and helps audiences and institutions reconsider their roles within a broader community. It\u2019s a sign of respect that\u2019s common in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, tribal nations, and increasingly in the U.S. It\u2019s also a \u2026 <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/nativecouncil.org\/natrec\/?p=2264\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nativecouncil.org\/natrec\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nativecouncil.org\/natrec\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nativecouncil.org\/natrec\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nativecouncil.org\/natrec\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nativecouncil.org\/natrec\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2264"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nativecouncil.org\/natrec\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2265,"href":"https:\/\/nativecouncil.org\/natrec\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2264\/revisions\/2265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nativecouncil.org\/natrec\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nativecouncil.org\/natrec\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nativecouncil.org\/natrec\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}