saidSaulis. Its like, Oh gee, thanks for taking care of the land so well. "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.". In addition to normal employment and family obligations, Indigenous people are working to heal their traumas, learn their languages, and support their nations. I also think that we are exploring, putting a [permanent plaque of the acknowledgement] in a very public place so that it helps the community understand where we come from.. It could involve showing up to demonstrations led by Indigenous people in the area. If you are a member of the Duwamish Tribe, please visit our Membership page to subscribe to a separate list. "There's a sort of historical untangling that's required to do this right, well and in a genuine way," he said. 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. 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 Hours:Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.Wednesdays with extended hours 8 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. During the past several months, a group of faculty, students and administrators have collaborated to draft the Land Acknowledgement Statement. As one of the first Land Grant colleges, Michigan State University is a beneficiary of Land allotted through the passing of the Morrill Act in 1862. -The Address/City/State. Kanhehs:io Deer is a Kanienkeh:ka journalist from Kahnaw:ke, south of Montreal. 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. WebResource Map - Land Acknowledgements. The statement was approved by the OU Senate on February 18. A Land Acknowledgement is a statement recognizing the people groups who originally stewarded the land prior to its colonization. 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.The preservation and perpetuation of customs and traditions of Indigenous nations are essential to our shared cultural heritage. 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. "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. Native Governance Center counts land repatriation as one of several ways that institutions and individuals might go beyond a simple land acknowledgment. WebLand Acknowledgement Statement. In an era of reconciliation, they're political statements meant to recognize First Nations, Inuit, and Mtis territory, however many Indigenous people argue they've grown to become superficial, performative and problematic. He notices a similar lack of nuance in the ways people determine whose land theyre on. Having a Land Acknowledgement is only one step toward building relationships with Native communities. Its not about your statement being correct. Its not about performance either. 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. 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. 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. 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. "To speak about your territorial acknowledgment in the past continues that dominant narrative.". Discovery Company. Lambert, associate professor of African Studies and Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says such statements often refer to Indigenous peoples as the original stewards or custodians of land that is now occupied by another entity. The next step in the drafting process was collaborating with OUs administration to adjust and advance the land acknowledgement. By clicking on each plotted point, you can access basic Land Acknowledgement data: -The Institution's/Entity's Name. When that Campus Communications email announcement made the OU Land Acknowledgement Statement official, there was definitely a sense of pride in what had been accomplished. We recognize, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigans twelve federally-recognized Indian nations, for historic Indigenous communities in Michigan, for Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those who were forcibly removed from their Homelands. Indigenous activists protest the construction of the Line 3 pipeline in Solway, Minnesota on June 7, 2021. It is important the statement honors and names the communities, and recognizes the occupied or unceded nature and history of the land. Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. Individually, Id been thinking about this for a couple years before this before we started working together so there are folks who care about similar issues. During the past several months, a group of faculty, students and administrators have collaborated to draft the Land Acknowledgement Statement. 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. Some of the tribes listed are functionally extinct, he says, and are grouped in with nations that continue to exist in the area. 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. The phrase on stolen land can unknowingly erase these cultural views.. Learn more about Stanford's history with the Ohlone, Stanfords Relationships with Native Peoples, Beyond the Land Acknowledgment: College "LAND BACK" or Free Tuition for Native Students. 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. Including Mead, It may be dreary out today, but it won't be long b, A Servants Life: Special Downton Abbey Tour. 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. By clicking on each plotted point, you can access basic Land Acknowledgement data: -The Institution's/Entity's Name. In American Indian and Indigenous Studies, we recognize, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigans twelve federally-recognized Indian nations (Bay Mills Indian Community, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Hannahville Indian Community, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, and Sault Ste. Did you encounter any technical issues? The statement 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. During the past several months, a group of faculty, students and administrators have collaborated to draft the Land Acknowledgement Statement. A land acknowledgement is an optional statement, often given at the beginning of organized events, celebrations and activities, or published in printed materials. It's something he saidhe now regrets. WebLand Acknowledgements Map. "Do the internal work before you decide to step out into the world with your reconciliation mime. 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. We acknowledge the real ways that the State of Michigan, Michigan State University, and residents of this Land have benefitted from the forced and systematic removal of Anishinaabeg and other Indigenous peoples from Michigan, particularly during the Indian Removal period of the nineteenth century. of Public Environmental Wellness, Land Acknowledgment Committee), Deborah Vanderlinde (Associate Professor of Music Education, School of Music, Theater, and Dance), Elizabeth Wallis (Cherokee, Associate Dean, University Libraries), Nivedita Mukherji (Interim Associate Provost, Faculty Affairs), Noelle Mongene (Anishinaabe, Graduate Student at OU). Following the 2018 LMDA conference in Toronto -- We want to acknowledge the history and land, and honour the Indigenous people who continue to love this land here in Waawiyatanong (Detroit, Michigan). WebWe recognize that Land Acknowledgements must be preceded and followed with ongoing and unwavering commitments to American Indian and Indigenous communities. I think that Indians would say, We want the land back.. The land was ceded in the 1807 Treaty of Detroit and makes up southeast Michigan. (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.) Its an imperfect tool, Necefer says. Build real, authentic relationships with Indigenous people. This statement serves as both a reminder and a call to action to promote practices and policies that bring about equity and advancement for all people on our campus, in our community, and the world. 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. 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. This acknowledgment may be written or may be spoken at the beginning of an event or program, showing a specific commitment to restorative justice (please read the recommended articles). 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. Jeff Thomas, Editor-in-ChiefJune 30, 2021. and English STEP student Ashleigh Dubie (tribal affiliation, The Land Acknowledgement Committee worked with Deans, , Peiser said. The statement serves as a reminder that the land we occupy is stolen and that we should honor the people who occupied and stewarded before us. So for this issue, we begin by doing a territory acknowledgement for the place from which the magazine comes. It comes across as a very painful denial of exactly what happened.. 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. A Warner Bros. The group initially saw this as an encouraging sign, but they soon found that some non-Native people expected them to do the work for them for free. Wed like to extend special appreciation to Andrea Knutson (Assoc. MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. There's much more to just words.". We have to understand what it is. 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. Like King, Saulis said she's personally not a fan of land acknowledgments because of their performative nature. Im not Indigenous, and Andrea is not. Another issue that Deel-McKenzie observed was that many people seemed too caught up in the particulars of the statements wording, without enough consideration on how they planned to support Indigenous communities moving forward. The statement serves as a reminder that the land we occupy is stolen and that we should honor the 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. So for this issue, we begin by doing a territory acknowledgement for the place from which the magazine comes. 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. By recognizing the ways that settler-colonial institutions benefit from these interconnected histories, we work to hold the University accountable. Native Lands Digital, a commonly used app run by a Canadian nonprofit, allows users to input an address to see what tribal nations lived there. Oakland Center, Suite 150 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. Start working together, Rajaee said. Although land acknowledgements are powerful statements, they are only meaningful when they are coupled with authentic and sustained relationships with Indigenous communities and community-informed actions. ), Ashleigh Dubie (Cherokee, English/STEP, student), Megan Peiser (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Asst. After all, when did celebrating birthdays became a thing? Land dispossession is continuing, he adds. 2023 Cable News Network. I also think that we are exploring, putting a [permanent plaque of the acknowledgement] in a very public place so that it helps the community understand where we come from.. I could see that people are just copying and pasting this stuff without really looking into the details, Necefer tells CNN. A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes the unique and enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. 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 Giving a land acknowledgement requires research and reflection to understand the historical and contemporary Indigenous communities having a relationship with the land. Necefer says his organization NativesOutdoors has moved away from the red pin emojis in social media captions that function as land acknowledgments and is instead focusing its efforts on more ambitious ways they can educate non-Native audiences about the history of the places they live. We are still here. 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. Acknowledgement is a simple way of resisting the erasure of Indigenous histories and working towards honoring and inviting the truth. 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. [Were considering] some type of an ongoing event that would honor Native Americans Native American History Month or some other activity. Some land acknowledgments also fail to acknowledge the traumas that accompanied Native people being removed from their lands, Lambert adds. 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. In AIIS, we push Michigan State University to recruit, retain, and support American Indian and Indigenous students, faculty, and staff. "It's the very bottom layer you can do," she said of land acknowledgments. For OU, the first steps in delivering a more inclusive campus for Indigenous students is going to be following up on the goals outlined in the Campus Communications release. -Laurier Students Public Interest Research Group, Ontario, Canada. Land acknowledgement is a traditional custom dating back centuries for many Native communities and nations. For anyone interested in advocating for Indigenous people, the main advice from the committee is to find people and collaborate. The purpose of a land acknowledgement is to recognize, respect and affirm the ongoing relationship between Indigenous people and the land. Universities around the state and country have issued similar land acknowledgement statements. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Professor, English Dept. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Land acknowledgments are generally meant to acknowledge the Indigenous history of the land one is on. A shortened land acknowledgement can also be used for email signatures. By clicking on each plotted point, you can access basic Land Acknowledgement data: King wants to see institutions, organizations, or whoever plans on making a land acknowledgment to collaborate with and support Indigenous communities. The statement serves as a reminder that the land we occupy is stolen and that we should honor the -The Institution Type. It feels like a box checking activity, like people are doing it to signal their politics, says Len Necefer, an Indigenous studies scholar and founder and CEO of the apparel and media company NativesOutdoors. This map represents the location and geographic spread of the entities analyzed through the survey. 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. WebThe purpose of a land acknowledgement is to recognize, respect and affirm the ongoing relationship between Indigenous people and the land. To draft the land so well erasure of Indigenous histories and working towards honoring and inviting truth. 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