about land acknowledgements
You may have noticed that we include a statement at the top of our podcast about the lands we occupy—and when we have guests, we often include those lands, too.
So, what is a land acknowledgement statement?
This is one way to audibly reflect the complicated, violent, colonial history that brings all non-Native people to the US or Canada, or any other settler-colonial state. (And here we acknowledge but also insist that the project of Black African enslavement, too, comes from the history of colonialism and imperialism.) Land seizure, the removal of Indigenous peoples and communities from their lands, and ongoing land-rights issues—to say nothing of systemic inequalities, structural racisms, and other violences—are ongoing issues. Naming them is important. Northwestern University has really helpful phrasing on why these statements matter:
“It is important to understand the longstanding history that has brought you to reside on the land, and to seek to understand your place within that history. Land acknowledgements do not exist in a past tense, or historical context: colonialism is a current ongoing process, and we need to build our mindfulness of our present participation.” Northwestern University
Why is a land acknowledgment statement not enough?
Owning up to past and ongoing issues is a good, first step. But it is not and cannot be everything. There has to be action, too!
The Native Governance Center has a rich, deep series on how to do more than just read a statement. (They also have resources if your organization or institution is looking to adopt a statement.) We urge you to check those out.
Here is what we also pulled together, or what drives our “statements aren’t enough” commitments. Please note that we draw on our local contexts; your own region, location, institution—all of that shapes what your action plan should look like.
As folks ensconced in universities, we take seriously the role of the university in its promulgation of anti-Indigenous policies, histories, and programming, as well as ongoing racisms against Native students, faculty, and staff. (See the section on self-assessment for universities, here.)
For us, that means we have and will continue to raise these issues, push for expanded and targeted hiring, and push for programming, tenure-track positions in Indigenous studies, and agitate for symbols of racism to be removed from our campuses.
For Vermonters, the Nulhegan Abenaki webpage has a lot of resources, and different ways to learn about and, ultimately, support this community.
The Vermont Abenaki Artists Association is also a meaningful, material way to contribute.
While Abenaki across New England, and in Vermont, often also identify as part of the Wabanaki Confederacy, the Wabanaki Alliance was formed in Maine to specifically advocate for Native rights in Maine. Their website is a great starting point to learn and materially contribute.
Other Maine resources include information on and ways to support Tribes in Maine:
Maine Craft has storefronts but also allows you to shop online to directly support Wabanaki artists.