Land Acknowledgments
A land acknowledgement is an expression of recognition and respect for the Indigenous peoples whose traditional homelands encompass the land we are standing on today. It is only one small step in what must be a much larger process of recognizing and rectifying colonizing efforts to remove and erase the Indigenous peoples who continue to live on and near these lands.
Land acknowledgements have become increasingly popular in the past few years. However, they risk becoming performative: easy to deliver, but in the end, no closer to enacting the values they espouse. A land acknowledgment given without a meaningful call to action risks more harm than good, absolving non-Native people of any meaningful response and offering Native people one more empty promise.
The FAQs about Land acknowledgments below offer some useful information in deciding whether to give a land acknowledgment. We also provide tips, examples, and resources for creating a land acknowledgement. If you have additional questions or want to talk through ideas related to land acknowledgements, please feel free to reach out to the working group for Indigenous Inclusion and Engagement, currently chaired by Tom Mould (tmould@butler.edu).
Land Acknowledgment FAQs
Peoples who are descendants of the earliest known inhabitants of an area are indigenous. These groups are often contrasted with colonizing groups, who have moved into an area and displaced the original inhabitants.
The U.S. government wanted control of land and resources in order to aid their nation building, their westward expansion, and their primarily White citizens. Through war, treaties and laws passed by the U.S. government, the majority of Indigenous peoples of Indiana were displaced, many to lands in Oklahoma.
A land acknowledgement serves as a reminder of our shared history and the people displaced by colonization. It also provides a departure point for work in decolonization and reparative justice necessitated by communities. A land acknowledgement should be paired with meaningful engagement, connections, and actions to achieve equity and justice. You should not give a land acknowledgment unless you are willing to work towards equity and justice for Indigenous peoples with meaningful action.
Many Indigenous leaders have stressed that this acknowledgment should come from the people hosting the event rather than asking Native people to shoulder this work. Accordingly, whoever organizes, takes responsibility for, or introduces the event would be the likely person to give the acknowledgment. However, land acknowledgments should never be given insincerely as a requirement. Speakers should engage with the content of a land acknowledgement in a meaningful way, acknowledging and reflecting on their own positionality to the statement. Guidelines are offered elsewhere in this document to help speakers develop a land acknowledgment appropriate to the occasion.
No. A land acknowledgement is a departure point for the greater body of work required to achieve justice, equality, and freedom from oppression. Check out the “Engagement at Butler” and “Recommended Resources” pages for more ways to educate yourself, reflect, and participate in meaningful engagement. If you are a student interested in taking courses that address Indigenous peoples, cultures, and histories, you can find lists of courses on our website
Indigenous peoples continue to be displaced around the world as government agencies seek additional access to land and resources, often for energy projects such as dams and oil pipelines. This environmental racism targets marginalized communities disproportionately and often includes Indigenous communities.
According to historical accounts, the Myaamiaki (Miami), Bodewadmi (Potawatomi), Lenape (Delaware), Saawanwa (Shawnee), Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), and Peouaroua (Peoria), are the original habitants of these lands prior to Indiana receiving statehood in 1816 and the many forced removal efforts. In central Indiana, the Treaty of St. Mary’s (1818) laid claims to land where Indianapolis now stands. The Eiteljorg Museum has identified these six tribes for the museum’s land acknowledgment. However, the history and movement of Indigenous peoples is nuanced and complex. Other tribes that have been recognized as inhabiting lands in the current state of Indiana include the Ottawa, Wea, Piankashaw, Wyandot, Kaskaskia, and Eel River. Visit this page to learn additional information on Indigenous peoples in Indiana.
This working group was begun by a small group of faculty, staff, and students working in the area of indigenous studies and social justice, including Courtney Mohler, Jamie Valentine, Tom Mould, and Christopher Luis Paez Reyna. Eventually, Dr. Khalilah Marbury (Shabazz), Butler’s Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, formed The working group for Indigenous Inclusion and Engagement. Drafts of these materials were revised and vetted by members of the working group.
Creating a Land Acknowledgement
Before deciding to offer a land acknowledgement, we encourage you to carefully consider why you are giving one, how it is relevant to the situation at hand, and what you will be able to do to follow through on such an acknowledgment.
Tips for Individualizing a Land Acknowledgement
We recognize that not all situations are the same, and thus, a land acknowledgement should be adapted to the situation. While all land acknowledgements should be sincere and include a statement of gratitude to the Indigenous people who inhabited these lands, they should be individualized based on the specific goal of the person or group delivering it. For example, if the goal is to bring attention to displacement, mention it. If an event addresses issues of social justice, decolonization, or other issues relevant to land acknowledgments, tailor your acknowledgment to note these connections.
- It is common to say and express “honor” and “gratitude” when speaking of the lands and original caretakers of these traditional homelands.
- It is imperative that you explicitly recognize that Native peoples are still here.
- You should note the unjust ways some of these lands were acquired.
- You should acknowledge the need for reparative work and the amplification of social justice. Be prepared to offer suggestions for what this work could look like, and what work you and your organization are engaged in.
- Many Native groups have noted that land acknowledgments should be celebratory rather than grim, at the same time not shying away from difficult language like genocide and forced removal. This can be a difficult balance, and you can learn more using this land acknowledgement guide as a resource.
- A land acknowledgment should promote reflection of the past and present with an eye to the future.
- Consider what you are able and willing to commit to in terms of the implications of a land acknowledgement. If the answer is only “giving a land acknowledgment,” you should not give one as it may be interpreted as performative, one more empty promise that can damage rather than help build trust and meaningful relationships with Native people and groups.
Examples of Land Acknowledgements Given at Butler University Events
We encourage campus groups to individualize a land acknowledgment based on their own position, organizational identity, knowledge, and commitment. Below we include tips for how to individualize a land acknowledgment, and a few examples of land acknowledgments given at Butler to serve as useful models for ways people have individualized their acknowledgments.
Shared during the Screening of “Edge of the Knife”—the first and only Haida language feature film, screened by Butler alum and Haida tribal member Ben Young—on March 23, 2023, by a representative of the Task Force for Indigenous Inclusion and Engagement.
“It is my honor as a member of the working group for Indigenous Inclusion and Engagement here at Butler University to offer a land acknowledgement this evening.
We gather here at Butler University on the traditional homelands of Indigenous peoples who were forcibly removed from this place. These peoples include the Myaamiaki (Miami), Bodewadmi (Potawatomi), Lenape (Delaware), Saawanwa (Shawnee), Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), and Peouaroua (Peoria) peoples. We honor with gratitude the land itself and the Indigenous peoples past and present who have stewarded it throughout the generations. This acknowledgement calls us to commit to hearing and engaging Indigenous voices and perspectives and to being better stewards of the land we inhabit.
It also calls us to action.
A Land Acknowledgement is a simple, powerful way of showing respect and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase indigenous people’s history and culture. However, acknowledgement by itself is a small gesture. It becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationships and informed action.
In consultation with our guest Ben Young, we invite you to build relationships with your native colleagues and neighbors, to learn about their history and culture, and to consider ways to make your commitment tangible and meaningful. Please take out your phones and scan these 3 QR codes visible on the screen behind me. The first one will take you to a list of courses being offered at Butler this fall where you can learn more about native and indigenous peoples. The second will take you to Myaamia Center where MacArthur Fellow and Miami Citizen Darryl Baldwin discusses language and cultural preservation through the Myaamia Center that he founded. And the third will take you to the Miami Indian Nation where you can donate to the tribe to help them in their various efforts (and where you can also learn more about the tribe). Thank you.”
Shared during the Black Lives Matter Panel on Feb. 15th 2021 by a representative of the Desmond Tutu Peace Lab
“Before we get started, I would like to note that The Desmond Tutu Peace lab recognizes that Butler University exists on the traditional Territories of several Indigenous groups. We honor the Indigenous communities native to this land and acknowledge the debt we owe to their past and present knowledge of conflict transformation, sustainable peace, and restorative justice practices.
We also understand that “Acknowledgment by itself is a small gesture. It becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationships and informed action.”
The Peace Lab is committed to developing relationships with indigenous individuals and communities, locally and globally, and to offering events on (de)colonization and indigenous rights, knowledge and movements.”
Resources for Land Acknowledgments
- National Museum of the American Indian: “Honoring Original Indigenous Inhabitants: Land Acknowledgement”
- Native Governance Center: “Beyond Land Acknowledgment: A Guide”
- TED Talk by Lindsey Schneider about the Land Back Movement:
- PBS News Hour: “How well-meaning Land Acknowledgments Can Erase Indigenouse People and Sanitize History”
- American Anthropological Association: “Rethinking Land Acknowledgements”: