“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. To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory we 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 existing history that has brought us to reside on the land, and to seek to understand our 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. It is also worth noting that acknowledging the land is Indigenous protocol. We would like to open our event today by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the occupied/unceded/seized territory of the Wichita, Caddo, Comanche, and Cherokee tribes. These tribes have stewarded this land throughout the generations and we would like to pay our respects to elders, both past and present.” (From The University of North Texas’ Pride Alliance)
To learn more about these tribes and the work of native students at UNT see the UNT Native American Student Association.
SIGDOC encourages participants to act on this acknowledgment in a real way through giving to the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund through FirstNations.org.