Why does the Alliance for Beyond Land Acknowledgement encourage organizations, businesses, and individuals to acknowledge the people whose land we occupy? What do we mean by “Beyond Land Acknowledgement?” Here are some answers to these questions, and a collection of Land Acknowledgements from organizations and businesses throughout the Southeastern Woodlands, centered on the Southern Appalachian homeland of the Anigituwagi (Cherokee) people.
Why Acknowledge Indigenous Land?
* A simple, powerful way to offer recognition and respect.
* Counter the Doctrine of Discovery with the true story of people who were already here.
* Create a broader public awareness of history that led to this moment.
* Begin to build relationships with Native communities and with the land.
* Support larger truth-telling & reconciliation efforts.
* Remind people that colonization is an ongoing process, with Native lands still occupied due to deceptive and broken treaties and practices of eminent domain and other mechanisms intended to benefit government or corporate America.
* Open up spaces with reverence and respect by taking a cue from Indigenous protocols.
* Inspire ongoing action and relationships.
Why “Beyond Land Acknowledgement?”
As we engage in processes of reconciliation it is critical that land acknowledgements don’t become a token gesture. They are not meant to be static, scripted statements that every person must recite in exactly the same way. They are expressions of relationship, acknowledging not just the territory someone is on, but that person’s connection to that land based on knowledge that has been shared with them.
A Collection of Land Acknowledgements
Click here to see a collection of Land Acknowledgements from the Southeastern Woodlands.