Chapters Add Land Acknowledgment Statement to Meetings

“We begin with gratitude for nearby waters and land….” Several chapters in states, provinces and nations are reaching out to their members by including a short respectful statement at the beginning of their meeting acknowledging that the lands we live on and prosper from were first settled by aboriginal people. The statement is called Land Acknowledgement and provides an opportunity to show respect for the original people who inhabited the land. Such a statement was recently read at the opening of an International Executive Board meeting by board member Kathleen Buligan.

Many Alpha Delta Kappa members are descendants of the people often called First peoples, First Nations, Aboriginal people, Indigenous or Native people.?

Land Acknowledgement statements came into usage when many countries signed the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and implemented Truth and Reconciliation Policies. Those policies acknowledge the harm done and seek to repair relationships with aboriginal peoples. The Land Acknowledge statement is one small gesture towards that goal.

Here are some examples of Land Acknowledgments that can be adapted to acknowledge the Aboriginal peoples and lands of any state, province or nation.

Australia: “Reconciliation Australia acknowledges and pays respects to the past, present, and future traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual, and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

Canada: “We acknowledge that we are gathered on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Algonquin, and Huron Wendat peoples, nations who have sought to walk gently on this land. We seek a new relationship with the original Peoples of this land, one rooted in and based on honor and deep respect.”

University of New Mexico: “Founded in 1889, the University of New Mexico sits on the traditional homelands of the Pueblo of Sandia. The original peoples of New Mexico-Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache- since time immemorial, have deep connections to the land and have made significant contributions to the broader com-munity statewide. We honor the land itself and those who remain stewards of this land throughout the generations, and we also acknowledge our committed relationship to indigenous peoples. We gratefully recognize our history.”

Kathleen suggests that sharing these statements with students is a good way to open a conversation about the history of land settlement and to start an aboriginal theme study.