Indigenous advocates call for action beyond land acknowledgements
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Land acknowledgements — the recognition that Indigenous people were the original inhabitants of American land — have become more common among academics, nonprofits, companies, celebrities and even in social media bios.
Why it matters: These efforts can fail to realize their desired impact if they aren't paired with more concrete action to support Indigenous communities, Indigenous advocates say.
What they're saying: "It has to be this reminder of having ongoing action — of being a steward, continuing to do things, of making space, making [systemic] change," Lydia Jennings, a citizen of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, told Axios.
State of play: Land acknowledgments are mainstream in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. While they're not new in the U.S., America's reckoning with race in 2020 prompted more institutions to adopt them, Jennings said.
Zoom in: San Francisco adopted a land acknowledgment resolution in 2021 after the American Indian Cultural District (AICD) wrote to city officials with a list of demands that included recognizing the Ramaytush Ohlone, the original peoples of the Peninsula, at the start of all city meetings.
- The push, led by Ramaytush Ohlone AICD board member Gregg Castro, was part of a broader effort in the Bay to center long-overlooked Indigenous history.
- Local institutions like the San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco Arts Commission and UCSF have all adopted similar land acknowledgments in recent years.
Yes, but: The phrasing of a land acknowledgement can sometimes put Indigenous people in the context of history, rather than in the present, said Michaela Madrid, the program director at Native Governance Center and a citizen of Lower Brule Sioux Tribe. This can fuel harmful stereotypes.
- "As a Native person, it can feel kind of awkward during these land acknowledgments," Madrid said. "We know that this is our land and that it was stolen."
- Jennings also noted that institutions should pair land acknowledgments with support and funding for Indigenous people — such as hiring Indigenous faculty at universities — so it's not just "one and done."
The bottom line: "The point and the power of land acknowledgement is that it does serve as a powerful reminder that Native folks are still here," Madrid said.
- "But it should be a reminder that our contemporary needs and issues should also be considered."