This is Indigenous Land

Land Acknowledgements

A Land Acknowledgement is not a ceremony but a gesture, intended to affirm a commitment to, and support of, Native American and Indigenous sovereignty, Native people and history. It is intended to recognize the ongoing presence of Native people at your institution, organization and across the continent. A Land acknowledgment is a traditional custom in many Native American and Indigenous communities. Today, land acknowledgments are used by non-Natives and Native Peoples to recognize Indigenous Peoples who are the original stewards of the lands on which we now live.

It’s a statement that recognizes a place where Indigenous peoples have lived historically and continue to live today. It calls attention to Indigenous peoples’ ongoing connections to a place and to the importance of confronting the often violent history that forced them from that land. It also recognizes how institutions have benefited from dispossession and settler colonialism, as well as how they can work with the tribal communities whose land they are situated on to explain this difficult history to the public. (from Newberry Library Acknowledgement)

It’s important to remember than when constructing a land acknowledgement, especially for non-Native institutions, it needs to come from said institution and not from Native people unless it’s in-collaboration. And remember, before reaching out to Native and Indigenous organizations, groups, people, this ask come with a lot of emotional labor. Do some research before assuming Native and Indigenous People can jump at the opportunity to create a Land Acknowledgment for *insert any white, non-Native/Indigenous organization*

The creation of Land Acknowledgements isn’t simply to check off a box but only the first step. There needs to be follow through on the part of the organization, institution etc. to create longer-term relationships with Native and Indigenous People, especially with ones whose land they occupy. There also needs to be more intentional engagement and the creation of opportunities for Native and Indigenous People to be included in processes that historically did not include Native and Indigenous People. And these opportunities should also make space for Native and Indigenous People to lead. Some questions to ask yourself: have you reflected on the reasons you want to give a land acknowledgement?  Do you collaborate equitably with Indigenous individuals, communities, and/or Nations?  

Finally, like all other resources, I will update this list periodically. (Last updated: 12/11/2021)

Image: Fernando Martí

Resource guide to making Land Acknowledgements

• Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgements
• A guide to Indigenous land acknowledgment
• The Guide to Indigenous Land and Territorial Acknowledgements for Cultural Institutions, Developed by: Felicia Garcia (Chumash)
• A Guide to Indigenous Land and Territorial Acknowledgements for Cultural Institutions, New York University
• Territory Acknowledgment, Native Land
• Native American land areas judicially established, Library of Congress *This map portrays the results of cases before the U.S. Indian Claims Commission or U.S. Court of Claims in which an American Indian tribe proved its original tribal occupancy of a tract within the continental United States. See also section below on Treaties for link to treaties.

Examples of Institutional Land Acknowledgments

• The Newberry Library
• Indigenous Land Acknowledgment, Arizona State University
• Michigan State University 

Articles and other resources

• Asher, L. & Curnow, J. (2018). The limits of settlers’ territorial acknowledgments. Curriculum Inquiry, 48(3), pp. 316-334.  
•  CBC Radio (2019).’I regret it’: Hayden King on writing Ryerson University’s territorial acknowledgement. 
•  Jesse Thistle (2016). Listening to History: Correcting the Toronto Metis Land Acknowledgement.  
• Tuck, E., Yank, W. (1990) Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education, & Society. Vol. 1(1), pp 1-40. 
• Robinson, D., Hill, K., Ruffo, A., Couture, S., Ravensbergen, L. (2019). Rethinking the Practice and Performance of Indigenous Land Acknowledgement. Canadian Theatre Review, Volume 177, Winter 2019, pp. 20-30. 
• Dr. Len Necefer, (2021). We Need to Reframe Why We Do Land Acknowledgments
• Land acknowledgments meant to honor Indigenous people too often do the opposite – erasing American Indians and sanitizing history instead (2021)

Online sources

• Inside Indian Country: A Discussion on Land Acknowledgments – Guest: Annie Ost & Salisha Old Bull, Tribal Research Specialist: The Podcast (02/23/2021)
• “A Template for your first ever Native American “Land Acknowledgment,” Do I directly benefit from the enslavement and genocide of the original people of this land? Absolutely.” Catapult (02/24/2021)
• More than words: Acknowledging Indigenous land
• Indigenous Land Acknowledgement, Explained
• Land acknowledgments 101
• Honoring Original Indigenous Inhabitants: Land Acknowledgement, National Museum of the American Indian, Native Knowledge 360 *this website has a lot of great educational resources, especially for students
• Land-grab universities, High Country News
• Land Grab Universities research database
• Whose Land app
• Mapa interactivo de Lenguas Indígenas de México. Mapa Interactivo de Lenguas indígenas de México, una colaboración entre el Centro de Cultura Digital (CCD) y el INALI. Observa a México como un territorio pluricultural y multilingüe. (Interactive Map of Indigenous Languages ​​of Mexico, a collaboration between the Center for Digital Culture (CCD) and INALI. Observe Mexico as a multicultural and multilingual territory)

List of Federally and Stated Recognized Tribes: https://bit.ly/3mPPihL

Local Chicago Organizations   

• Chi-Nations Youth Council  
• First Nations Garden

National Organizations  

• National Indian Education Association  
• Native American Rights Fund  
• National Congress of American Indians 
• National Museum of the American Indian  

Books related to Urban Chicago Native communities

• Native Chicago, by Terry Straus
• City Indian: Native American Activism in Chicago, 1893-1934, by David Beck and Rosalyn R. LaPier
• Indian Metropolis: Native Americans in Chicago, 1945-75, by James B. LaGrand
• Community Self-Determination, American Indian Education in Chicago, 1952-2006,John J. Laukaitis

Treaties

From 1776 to 1871, the U.S. Congress ratified more than 300 treaties with Native Nations. A provision in the 1871 Indian Appropriations Act withdrew federal recognition of Native Nations as separate political entities, contracted through treaties made with the United States. As a result, treaty making was abolished; and it was established that “no Indian nation or tribe within the territory of the United States shall be acknowledged or recognized as an independent nation, tribe, or power with whom the United States may contract by treaty.” We demand the reinstatement of treaty making and the acknowledgement of Native independence. We demand Native Nations assume their rightful place as independent Nations guaranteed the fundamental right to self-determination for their people, communities, land bases, and political and economic systems. (from The Red Nation 10 Point Program)

While treaties between Indigenous peoples and the United States affect virtually every area in the USA, there is as yet no official list of all the treaties. The US National Archives holds 374 of the treaties, where they are known as the “Ratified Indian Treaties.” Here you can view them for the first time with key historic works that provide context to the agreements made and the histories of our shared lands:

• Indigenous Digital Archives – Treaties Explorer
• Resources page/guide
• Why Treaties Matter

Treaties related to Chicago

• Treaty of Greenville (typescript), 1795, “Little Turtle’s speech on Greenville in 1795 uses šikaakonki as a NW marker for Myaamionki.”
• Mihšihkinaahkwa (Little Turtle’s) speech: On July 22nd, Mihšihkinaahkwa was the first speaker to rise and address the council. He addressed General Wayne stating that “I wish to inform you where your younger brothers, the Miamis, live, and, also, the Pottawatomies of St. Joseph’s, together with the Wabash Indians.” He disputed the boundary established by the Treaty of Ft. Harmar, as it “cut off from the Indians a large portion of the country, which has been enjoyed by my forefathers since time immemorial, without molestation or dispute. The print of my ancestors’ houses are everywhere to be seen in this portion,” the outline of which ran from “Detroit… to the headwaters of Scioto… down the Ohio, to the mouth of the Wabash, and from thence to Chicago” (see map below). He added that now he was prepared to listen to proposals on the issue of a boundary between the Mihši-maalhsa and the gathered groups. Mihšihkinaahkwa concluded, “I came with an expectation of hearing you say good things, but I have not yet heard what I expected.” Read more here: https://aacimotaatiiyankwi.org/2016/10/03/the-treaty-of-greenville-1795-part-i-2/
• (Treaty of St. Louis, 1816) Indian affairs: laws and treaties, compiled and compiled and edited by Charles J. Kappler…. v.2., 1975. More info: Treaty of St. Louis (1816) – Wikipedia, The Treaty of St. Louis of 1816 was treaty signed by Ninian Edwards, William Clark, and Auguste Chouteau for the United States and representatives of the Council of Three Fires (united tribes of Ottawa, Ojibwa, and Potawatomi) residing on the Illinois and Milwaukee rivers, signed on August 24, 1816, and proclaimed on December 30, 1816. Despite the name, the treaty was conducted at Portage.
• Treaty of Chicago (1821, 1833): The Treaty of Chicago may refer to either of two treaties made and signed in the settlement that became Chicago, Illinois between the United States and the Odaawaa (anglicized Ottawa), Ojibwe (anglicized Chippewa), and Bodéwadmi (anglicized Potawatomi) (collectively, Council of Three Fires) Native American peoples. The first was in 1821 and the second in 1833. More information available on the Encyclopedia of Chicago. 
• Treaty of Chicago, September 26, 1833, original treaty available at National Archives in Chicago; transcription available at Forest County Potawatomi website); download pdf.