"A tool of colonialism is to keep us in the past tense," said Nahanee. WebLand Acknowledgements Map. Like King, Saulis said she's personally not a fan of land acknowledgments because of their performative nature. But the map only includes the names of those tribes, without the history or context around potentially contested claims to the land. WebFor non-Indigenous communities, land acknowledgement is a powerful way of showing respect and honoring the Indigenous Peoples of the land on which we work and live. Acknowledgement can be a thank you or an honoring. By clicking on each plotted point, you can access basic Land Acknowledgement data: -The Institution's/Entity's Name. oakland university school of health sciences. (Native Lands Digital, which did not immediately respond to questions from CNN, says in a disclaimer on the site that the map is not perfect and is a work in progress.) Required fields are marked *, The people behind OUs Land Acknowledgement Statement, Sault Sainte Marie tribe of Chippewa Indians, American Indian Health and Family Services. In AIIS, we push Michigan State University to recruit, retain, and support American Indian and Indigenous students, faculty, and staff. -The Institution's/Entity's Name Having a Land Acknowledgement is only one step toward building relationships with Native communities. "A land acknowledgment should be an obligation," said King. For Lambert, the most logical next step is to give the land back. In offering this land acknowledgement, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history and experiences., Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples. A people that are still here, continuing to honor and bring to light their ancient heritage. This was a project of a senior high school student who worked closely with a Duwamish elder. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. "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.". We have to understand what it is. I spoke with Tara at an American Indian Health and Family Services event, at which she told me about writing it for [Harpers] class, Associate Professor of English Andrea Knutson said. The preservation and perpetuation of customs and traditions of Indigenous nations are essential to our shared cultural heritage. 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. 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. 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. As big of a step as the land acknowledgement is, its a foundational step that the committee wants to see built upon. [Were considering] some type of an ongoing event that would honor Native Americans Native American History Month or some other activity. The analysis of this data, or separate/individual entries, can be found in the Land Acknowledgement database. "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 . Deel-McKenzie says a land acknowledgment should be seen as a first step one that must be followed by a call to action. WebA Land Acknowledgement is a statement recognizing the people groups who originally stewarded the land prior to its colonization. So for this issue, we begin by doing a territory acknowledgement for the place from which the magazine comes. "A starting point would be to initiate some kind of sustainable relationship with the people that you're going to be acknowledging," said George. And once you start getting together, you can start making things happen., Positive space: Singer, actress Kennedy Vernengo, How students are celebrating Valentines Day. Copyright Duwamish Tribal Services, 2018. ), Ashleigh Dubie (Cherokee, English/STEP, student), Megan Peiser (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Asst. Universities around the state and country have issued similar land acknowledgement statements. We recognize that settler and Indigenous signatories understood the terms of the treaties in starkly different terms. 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. Meadow Brook Staff Your acknowledgement should come from the heart, and we cannot provide you with the exact words to use. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade just featured a native land acknowledgment. In particular, the university resides on land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw. But despite the flaws in some land acknowledgments, he and others say they arent suggesting that the practice be done away with altogether. The land acknowledgement passed through the OU Senate on Feb. 18, and was presented to the Board of Trustees on Apr. Land acknowledgements also raise awareness about the Indigenous histories, perspectives and experiences that are often suppressed or forgotten. We promise to do a better job in the future, says Lambert, who is an enrolled citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. These statements, known as land acknowledgments, are an attempt to address the past, present and future of a particular location as it relates to Indigenous peoples as well as to understand ones own place within it. From universities to sports games to city council meetings to Twitter bios, its becoming increasingly common to see statements recognizing that the land on which one is standing once belonged to Indigenous people. Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples. 2023 Indigenous Land and Territorial Acknowledgements for Institutions, Indigenous Land and Territorial Acknowledgements for Institutions. 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. Their voices lifted the project but there was still more to do. You just are on the land of these peoples," she said. She is from Kanesatake in Quebecand is the ambassador and education and mobilization officer for Mikana, a non-profit organization that works for social change by educating different audiences on the realities and perspectives of Indigenous peoples. WebResource Map - Land Acknowledgements. MI 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. WebWHEREAS, land acknowledgments serve to illuminate ongoing indigenous presence, as well as recognize and counter settler-colonial legacies of violence and land expropriation, AND WHEREAS, the purpose of these statements is to show respect and honor the indigenous peoples that this land has been home to since time immemorial,1 AND Most of this work was actually teaching educating those in leadership positions who Native Peoples of Michigan are.. It is important the statement honors and names the communities, and recognizes the occupied or unceded nature and history of the land. A land acknowledgement can be a few sentences or several pages. But for Michael Lambert, many such statements dont adequately reflect how Indigenous peoples were forcibly removed from their lands. and English STEP student Ashleigh Dubie (tribal affiliation, The Land Acknowledgement Committee worked with Deans, , Peiser said. He notices a similar lack of nuance in the ways people determine whose land theyre on. Peiser expanded on this point and the groups mentality while crafting the language. "I want people to be able to back up what you're saying, truly believe in it, and be ready to answer the question when someone criticizes you.". This is important when extending and personalizing a given acknowledgment statement. So for this issue, we begin by doing a territory acknowledgement for the place from which the magazine comes. "Do the internal work before you decide to step out into the world with your reconciliation mime. Having a Land Acknowledgement is only one step toward building relationships with Native communities. A grassroots initiative, this acknowledgement moved from students to faculty to the administration. WebResource Map - Land Acknowledgements. Indigenous people across the US want their land back -- and the movement is gaining momentum, If theyre going to acknowledge what happened in the transfer of this land from Indian to non-Indian control, there has to be some proactive action on the part of the institution for the aggrieved group, he said. MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Professor, Health Sciences), Kevin Corcoran (Dean, College of Arts and Sciences), Cynthia Miree-Coppin (Faculty Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee), Joi Cunningham (Provosts Office), and the OU Senate committee (chaired by Jason Wasserman) for leading the effort to establish the OU Land Acknowledgement Statement, which reads: 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. We are also here to honor our Native American ancestors whose ways of knowing demonstrated reverence and respect for the land on which Oakland University and Meadow Brook Hall now stands. Hours, Directions & Parking 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 If you are a member of the Duwamish Tribe, please visit our Membership page to subscribe to a separate list. 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. We also acknowledge the Mtis community who were forced from their community on Bootaaganini-minis (Drummond Island), when the border was drawn between the US and Canada. Britt Rios-Ellis, Executive VP, Academic Affairs & ProvostGlenn McIntosh, Senior VP, Student Affairs & Chief Diversity Officer, Native American Advisory Committee - OU Representatives, Oakland University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Plan, Amy Banes-Berceli (Interim Associate Provost, Operations), Ashleigh Dubie (Cherokee, English-STEP Student, Land Acknowledgment Committee), Andrea Knutson (Associate Professor, English, Land Acknowledgment Committee), Megan Peiser (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Assistant Professor of English, Land Acknowledgment Committee), Mozghon Rajaee (Assistant Professor, Dept. Including Mead, It may be dreary out today, but it won't be long b, A Servants Life: Special Downton Abbey Tour. WebFor non-Indigenous communities, land acknowledgement is a powerful way of showing respect and honoring the Indigenous Peoples of the land on which we work and live. With that bigger picture in mind, this core four of Knutson, Peiser, Rajaee and Dubie continued the delicate work of drafting the statement. 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. "I don't tell people which word to use, but I ask them to consider each word critically," said Nahanee, founder and CEO of the Vancouver-based business Nahanee Creative, a company that provides education and awareness to promote social change. For anyone interested in advocating for Indigenous people, the main advice from the committee is to find people and collaborate. Published 2023 Cable News Network. 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.. Your email address will not be published. How does our curriculum and our community engagement recognize, include, and connect with indigenous people in our community? It had to emerge out of conversations with native communities, Knutson said. WebWe recognize that Land Acknowledgements must be preceded and followed with ongoing and unwavering commitments to American Indian and Indigenous communities. It was presented to the OU Board of Trustees at their April 8 meeting. Hayden King, who is Anishinaabe fromBeausoleil First Nation in Ontario,helped write Ryerson University's land acknowledgment in 2012. ), Mozhgon Rajaee (Asst. This is important when extending and personalizing a given acknowledgment statement. -The Institution Type. We acknowledge that this land was colonized via the Treaty of Detroit in 1807. Acknowledgement is a simple way of resisting the erasure of Indigenous histories and working towards honoring and inviting the truth. Its a view shared by many Indigenous scholars and activists, though they might have different ideas on what constitutes sufficient action. 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. Widely supported throughout the university, the statement reflects the values at the heart of OUs continual engagement to shape a more knowledgeable, diverse and fair society. 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. By clicking on each plotted point, you can access basic Land Acknowledgement data: -The Institution's/Entity's Name. I could see that people are just copying and pasting this stuff without really looking into the details, Necefer tells CNN. 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. We didnt want a watered-down generic statement thats more harmful than not having one at all.. CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Following the 2018 LMDA conference in Toronto -- While some institutions may have multiple entries in the survey, the map is populated by the single coordinates representing one institution and its basic data. Even when acknowledgments point to wanting to build better relations and future with Indigenous people, she said, often institutions or organizations fail to put action to those words. 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. 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. Duwamish Longhouse & Cultural Center, 4705 West Marginal Way Southwest, Seattle, WA, 98106, United States. CBC Indigenous spoke with five First Nations people about the issues they see, what they expect when others make land acknowledgmentsand advice on how they can ring less hollow. Together, Oakland University faculty, students and administrators collaborated to draft the Land Acknowledgement Statement. 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. We are also here to honor our Native American ancestors whose ways of knowing demonstrated reverence and respect for the land on which Oakland University now stands. Native Governance Center counts land repatriation as one of several ways that institutions and individuals might go beyond a simple land acknowledgment. When we die, we return to the land and turn into the trees, rocks, and water that once gave us life, he wrote in Outside. 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