LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to take a moment to acknowledge the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and honor the sovereignty of the Six Nations – Seneca, Tuscarora, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, and Mohawk – and their land on which we are situated and doing our work today.
We want to demonstrate respect for the treaties that were made on these territories, and express our remorse for the harms and mistakes of the past. We acknowledge that we were founded upon the exclusions, displacement, and erasures of the Indigenous peoples who resided here when we arrived and who still reside on these lands.
We encourage everyone to join ASI as we take the time to learn more about our collective history and connect with Indigenous communities. We respect our nation-to-nation relationships and the responsibilities we have to one another. While we know a land acknowledgement is not enough, it is an important social justice and decolonial practice that promotes indigenous visibility, and is a reminder that we are on settled indigenous land. It is incumbent upon us, those currently residing on this stolen land, to take action and begin the difficult conversations with our Indigenous neighbors that need to take place with a spirit of respect, reconciliation, and collaboration.
This land acknowledgement was written in conjunction with our former Board Member, Robert D’Alimonte, Tuscarora Beaver Clan.
RESOURCES FOR WRITING LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We have compiled some valuable resources that you can use as a starting point to write a land acknowledgement.
NATIVE LAND – An interactive map-based resource for identifying Native Land. Plus a wealth of information on writing your own acknowledgement.
LANDACKNOWLEGEMENTS.ORG – A survey based resource that helps answer the question; what makes a Land Acknowledgement one that activates change?
NATIVE GOVERNANCE CENTER – A guide to Indigenous Land acknowledgements .
U.S DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & CULTURE – A virtual guide and call to acknowledgement
WHY LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS MATTER – A thought provoking op-ed by Chip Colwell, editor-in-chief of SAPIENS.
“I REGRET IT” – Hayden King on writing Ryerson University’s territorial acknowledgement.
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY – Peer reviewed resources including guidelines and best practices.