I could see that people are just copying and pasting this stuff without really looking into the details, Necefer tells CNN. 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. Taking from our roots as a Mercy and Jesuit university, we are committed to justice and reconciliation for our Native neighbors. Eds. Acknowledgement can be a thank you or an honoring. "It really actually becomes harmful to the actually existing Indigenous nations that are still trying to negotiate and unravel their diplomatic relationships with each other.". I hope our administration will.. As a community, we recognize that this is the ancestral land of the Three Fires Confederacy, the Ojibwa, Odawa, Potawatomi, and Wyandot nations. Build real, authentic relationships with Indigenous people. 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. 2:08 PM EST, Mon November 22, 2021. Hours, Directions & Parking Further, we recognize the wrongs done to those forcibly removed from their Homelands and commit to fostering an environment of inclusion that is responsive to the needs of First Peoples through our words, policies, and actions. But for Michael Lambert, many such statements dont adequately reflect how Indigenous peoples were forcibly removed from their lands. "You can have the nicest, most beautiful and most respectful land acknowledgment of all time but if you have no actions to back up your words, then why are you bothering?" 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. 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. If you are struggling to find the words to acknowledge the Duwamish Tribe, please visit the Real Rent Duwamish page by CLICKING HERE for resources and more information on the importance of land acknowledgement. Deel-McKenzie says a land acknowledgment should be seen as a first step one that must be followed by a call to action. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. We want our schools to be a safe haven for us it didnt feel safe for me as an Indigenous person, because [this] piece was missing.. Land acknowledgements also raise awareness about the Indigenous histories, perspectives and experiences that are often suppressed or forgotten. And to fully fund them not ask Native faculty to beg for support Allies need to step up and take on that work. We had a lot of inquiries from non-Native people saying, Hey, were wanting to do a land acknowledgement: Can you read this? Required fields are marked *, The people behind OUs Land Acknowledgement Statement, Sault Sainte Marie tribe of Chippewa Indians, American Indian Health and Family Services. We have to understand what it is. Megan and Ashleigh both contributed, but [there was still this question of] how do we create this with a larger community having input? Consistent with our values of community and inclusion, we have a responsibility to acknowledge, honor and makevisible the universitys relationship to Native peoples. "It's the very bottom layer you can do," she said of land acknowledgments. In order to be transformative, it is important to move away from performative acts, as Megan Red-Shirt Shawsays in her essay Beyond the Land Acknowledgment: College "LAND BACK" or Free Tuition for Native Students, into a mindful way to show awareness, create accountability, and actively disrupt colonial structures. But while some tribes might agree with that characterization, Necefer says, others view the situation differently: Rather than land belonging to people, people belong to the land. This is important when extending and personalizing a given acknowledgment statement. By clicking on each plotted point, you can access basic Land Acknowledgement data: -The Institution's/Entity's Name. Acknowledgement is a simple way of resisting the erasure of Indigenous histories and working towards honoring and inviting the truth. He notices a similar lack of nuance in the ways people determine whose land theyre on. "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.". A Warner Bros. Stay in touch with whats happening at Meadow Brook Hall by signing up for our e-newsletter. It's something he saidhe now regrets. Another issue Lambert sees in some land acknowledgments is that they can suggest Indigenous peoples and by extension, issues of land dispossession are a relic of the past, when Native communities are living many of these realities today. 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. The statement serves as a reminder that the land we occupy is stolen and that we should honor the In addition to normal employment and family obligations, Indigenous people are working to heal their traumas, learn their languages, and support their nations. Land acknowledgements also raise awareness about the Indigenous histories, perspectives and experiences that are often suppressed or forgotten. So for this issue, we begin by doing a territory acknowledgement for the place from which the magazine comes. We want to acknowledge the history and land, and honour the Indigenous people who continue to love this land here in Waawiyatanong (Detroit, Michigan). 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. "Are they ready to give us back our land? King wants to see institutions, organizations, or whoever plans on making a land acknowledgment to collaborate with and support Indigenous communities. Having a Land Acknowledgement is only one step toward building relationships with Native communities. It is up to you how you feel your acknowledgement should be carried out. Discovery Company. Outside of the usual satisfaction of a job well done, Dubie had deeper reflections about what the statement means for her as an Indigenous student. By recognizing the ways that settler-colonial institutions benefit from these interconnected histories, we work to hold the University accountable. We receive countless inquiries on acknowledgements daily and request that those looking to make land acknowledgements first try to construct their own before contacting Duwamish Tribal Services for comments or help. The analysis of this data, or separate/individual entries, can be found in the Land Acknowledgement database. The purpose of this statement of acknowledgement is to remind us to continue to be mindful and respectful of the history of this land. 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. Land acknowledgement is a traditional custom dating back centuries for many Native communities and nations. This map represents the location and geographic spread of the entities analyzed through the survey. In addition to normal employment and family obligations, Indigenous people are working to heal their traumas, learn their languages, and support their nations. 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. That process of transferring control from the Indians to the non-Indians was fraught with conflict, it was violent, it involved murder in some cases and extreme pain, he says. We affirm Indigenous sovereignty and hold Michigan State University accountable to the needs of American Indian and Indigenous peoples. WebWe recognize that Land Acknowledgements must be preceded and followed with ongoing and unwavering commitments to American Indian and Indigenous communities. Among the many reasons for adopting the statement is the need for Oakland University to demonstrate a public show of respect to Native peoples who have been The land was ceded in the 1807 Treaty of Detroit and makes up southeast Michigan. It is important the statement honors and names the communities, and recognizes the occupied or unceded nature and history of the land. WebThe purpose of a land acknowledgement is to recognize, respect and affirm the ongoing relationship between Indigenous people and the land. 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. It could involve showing up to demonstrations led by Indigenous people in the area. This statement can be present in your syllabus, read before presentations, or events. Most of this work was actually teaching educating those in leadership positions who Native Peoples of Michigan are.. It could be as simple as saying, This event is taking place on the traditional lands of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. It could take a more specific approach, such as We recognize the sustained oppression, land dispossession, and involuntary removals of the Muscogee and Cherokee peoples from Georgia and the Southeast On social media, it might show up as a red pushpin emoji, followed by the name of the tribe whose homelands one is on. Deel-McKenzie says a land acknowledgment should be seen as a first step one that must be followed by a call to action. In recognizing the history and respecting the sovereignty of Michigans Indian Nations, Oakland University honors the heritage of Indigenous communities and their significant role in shaping the course of this region. For me its important because OU has been where Ive been studying, which obviously has a close place to my heart and yet it, up to this point, had not really acknowledged Indigenous people, Dubie said. In AIIS, we push Michigan State University to recruit, retain, and support American Indian and Indigenous students, faculty, and staff. CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Among the many reasons for adopting the statement is the need for Oakland University to demonstrate a public show of respect to Native peoples who have been historically marginalized from American institutions, politics and academic curriculums. appreciated. Web*Land acknowledgement: Detroit occupies the contemporary and ancestral homelands of three Anishinaabe nations of the Council of Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Ottawa, and Potawatomi. Start working together, Rajaee said. Further, we recognize the wrongs done to those forcibly removed from their Homelands and commit to fostering an environment of inclusion that is responsive to the needs of First Peoples through our words, policies, and actions. If spoken, the order should be: (1) Welcome and words about the event, (2) Land Acknowledgment and specific relations to individual or collective actions, (3) Move into thescheduled program. Some of the tribes listed are functionally extinct, he says, and are grouped in with nations that continue to exist in the area. Its not about your statement being correct. Its not about performance either. We affirm and acknowledge the Burt Lake Band, who were literally burned from their houses in 1900. We need scholarships for Native students we need to hire more Native faculty We need a cross-departmental program for Native students and settler students in Native arts, ecology and more. Oakland needs to step up with money and real resources, Peiser said. [Were considering] some type of an ongoing event that would honor Native Americans Native American History Month or some other activity. For Claudette Commanda, an Algonquin elder from Kitigan Zibi, Que., the issue boils down to the concept of land back. There's much more to just words.". [Were considering] some type of an ongoing event that would honor Native Americans Native American History Month or some other activity. For universities, it might be offering free tuition for Indigenous students, and for corporations, it might be committing to hire Native people in leadership positions. Reflect on the kind of engagement you have with these groups and recognize your positionality in relation to that land. WebWe recognize that Land Acknowledgements must be preceded and followed with ongoing and unwavering commitments to American Indian and Indigenous communities. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. 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. 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. Indigenous activists protest the construction of the Line 3 pipeline in Solway, Minnesota on June 7, 2021. In what Campus Communications deemed an explicit gesture intended to cultivate a mutually beneficial dialogue, Oakland University officially adopted the OU Land Acknowledgement Statement last month. 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. 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. 8. This map represents the location and geographic spread of the entities analyzed through the survey. A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes the unique and enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. Despite the problems with land acknowledgments, George wants people to continue making them. Adrien Pochel, who is Oji-Cree and Lakota, drums and sings during a land acknowledgement ceremony for Chicago's Field Museum on October 26, 2018. 2023 Cable News Network. 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. 312 Meadow Brook Rd Most of this work was actually teaching educating those in leadership positions who Native Peoples of Michigan are., , our vice president for Student Affairs, and also our chief diversity officer, to really see how we can engage folks within the community, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, said. WebA Land Acknowledgement is a statement recognizing the people groups who originally stewarded the land prior to its colonization. At every stage, whatever happened to it, whether it was a minor tweak, or a sort of bigger reorganization everybody understood that no draft moved forward without the okay of our committee.. 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. WebLand Acknowledgements Map. This is important when extending and personalizing a given acknowledgment statement. 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. Another action it proposes is voluntary land taxes regular payments that go directly toward Native nations or organizations in the area. We greatly appreciate the increased interest in this traditional practice, but the large volume of inquiries received does not always allow us to respond in a timely manner. 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