Native American Resources: Land Acknowledgement Resources

Aaniin, Hi; Boozhoo, Hello!

Interlochen's land acknowledgment:

Interlochen Center for the Arts acknowledges that it occupies the ancestral and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabe Three Fires Confederacy and specifically the Odawa, Chippewa, and Potawatomi peoples. We pay our respects and give thanks to the past, present, and future traditional stewards of this land.

What is a land acknowledgment?

Land acknowledgment is a traditional custom that dates back centuries in many Native nations and communities. Today, land acknowledgments are used by Native Peoples and non-Natives to recognize Indigenous Peoples who are the original stewards of the lands on which we now live.  

Why do we recognize the land?
To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory you reside on and a way of honoring the Indigenous people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. It is important to understand the long-standing history that has brought you to reside on the land and to seek to understand your place within that history. Land acknowledgments do not exist in a past tense or historical context: colonialism is a current ongoing process, and we need to build the mindfulness of our present participation. It is also worth noting that acknowledging the land is an Indigenous protocol.

For more information on the purpose and intent of land acknowledgments, see 

• native-land.ca 
• nativegov.org 
• nativegov.org A guide to indigenous land acknowledgment.
• Northwestern University's site
• So you began your event with an Indigenous land acknowledgment. Now what? (NPR sound clip)

• ‘Land Acknowledgments’ Are Just Moral Exhibitionism (Article from the Atlantic)

• As land acknowledgments become more common, Indigenous people grapple with next steps (OPB discussion on land acknowledgments with Indigenous people  28:14)