land acknowledgement assignment

Writing Land Acknowledgements

Table of contents, introduction, step 1: learn about land acknowledgements, step 2: find out whose land you are on, step 3: learn about tribal sovereignty and indigenous people.

Step 4: Find Indigenous communities, organizations, and businesses

Step 5: Write, review, and revise your land acknowledgement

Kat Nelsen, Social Sciences Librarian, [email protected]

Nicholas DeShaw, Community Engagement Coordinator, American Indian Studies Department, [email protected]

Welcome to this guide on land acknowledgements. Whatever brought you here, we are glad you have come. In this guide you  will find an explanation of what a land acknowledgement is and why you might want to write one. You will also find resources to learn more so you can draft an accurate and thoughtful land acknowledgement that is followed up with actions that support Indigenous initiatives, communities, and individuals.

What is a land acknowledgement?

A land acknowledgement is a statement that acknowledges and honors the land you are on and the Indigenous citizens of the Indigenous Nations of that land. The statement typically acknowledges the history of colonialism, violence, and treaties that displaced the Indigenous communities from their traditional homelands. It also respects tribal sovereignty, highlights local Native peoples and groups, and offers suggestions for actions people can take to support Indigenous communities and initiatives.

A land acknowledgement is a way to educate, inform, and spark action. It is only a first-step toward reconciling and addressing past harms and ensuring no further harm is done. Actions will always speak louder than words. It is hoped that the knowledge gained in the writing of an acknowledgement will underpin the actions you or your organization will take in the future.

Why do you want to write a land acknowledgement?

There are many reasons and occasions that may have you considering the writing of a land acknowledgement. Some common places land acknowledgements are used are:

• Event openings
• Conference and meeting openings
• Conference presentations
• Initial class meetings
• Email signatures

Working through the writing of a land acknowledgement provides a tangible project that requires the building of knowledge and understanding around the history and present day experiences of the Indigenous Peoples on whose land you reside. Like any other project it will require learning, reflection, and work. The process of creating the acknowledgement is important. Take your time and enlist others in your organization to help (learn together). 

Do not ask Indigenous Peoples to write the acknowledgement for you. If you feel that a review of your land acknowledgement is necessary, it is appropriate to ask a qualified individual to review it. Be prepared to compensate them for their time and energy. Also, be prepared for them to refuse. 

Writing a land acknowledgement encourages me to learn, consider, and take the time for deep reflection. The process causes me to reconcile my identity as a descendent of European settlers with my beliefs, values, and priorities. Reconciliation to me means that I have obligations to both the land and its Indigenous stewards. How we all got here matters.     

 -Kat Nelsen, Librarian for American Indian Studies

• A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement Read this first! The Native Governance Center has guidance for writing land acknowledgements.
• Recording of Indigenous land acknowledgment event co-hosted by the Native Governance Center and the Lower Phalen Creek Project, October 2019
• 'I regret it': Hayden King on writing Ryerson University's territorial acknowledgement Interview with Hayden King on the writing of the Ryerson University land acknowledgement and their perspective on what land acknowledgements could be.
• Native land map An interactive map showing ancestral lands and the effects of treaties on tribal boundaries.
• U.S. Forest Service Tribal Connections Interactive map that shows all the treaties in the U.S. and links to the text as well as lists of each modern tribal government.

Understand and respect tribal governance and sovereignty

• Tribal governance National Congress of American Indians webpage on tribal governance.
• Why tribes exist today in the United States FAQ from the Bureau of Indian Affairs covering legal status, federally recognized tribes, sovereignty and federal-tribal and state-tribal relations.

Accessing books in this guide

The links below the description of each book will take you to either the  WorldCat  entry for the specified format of the book or the UMN library catalog.

If you are not a UMN affiliate you can use the WorldCat link to find the closest library to you with the book. If there are no copies owned by your public library or another library you are affiliated with you can request a print copy* using interlibrary loan through your local library. Another option is to visit the UMN Libraries to access and use books onsite. 

*Note that audio and e-book formats are typically not available through interlibrary loan due to licensing restrictions.

• UMN catalog (print book)
• Worldcat (print and ebook)
• Worldcat (audiobook)

• UMN catalog (print and ebook)

Learn about the Indigenous communities with traditional lands in Minnesota

• Why Treaties Matter Virtual Exhibit Today, treaties continue to affirm the inherent sovereignty of American Indian nations. Tribal governments maintain nation-to-nation relationships with the United States government. Tribal nations manage lands, resources, and economies, protect people, and build more secure futures for generations to come.
• Minnesota Indian Affairs Council The mission of the Indian Affairs Council (MIAC) is to protect the sovereignty of the 11 Minnesota Tribes and to ensure the well-being of American Indian citizens throughout the state of Minnesota.
• Tribal Nations in Minnesota
• Minnesota Historical Society - collection of research guides on American Indians A list of research guides on topics related to the history of Native Americans in Minnesota and featuring resources at the Minnesota Historical Society.
• Bdote Memory Map A digital resource for understanding more about the Dakota people's relationship to Minnesota.

• UMN catalog (print and ebook)  - note the ebook is available to all Minnesota residents through Ebooks Minnesota. 
• Worldcat (print and ebook)  

Learn about tribal relationships with the University of Minnesota

• TRUTH Project Report The Towards Recognition and University-Tribal Healing—TRUTH—project is a Native-organized, Native-led, community-driven research movement that offers multiple recommendations on how the University of Minnesota community can be in better relation with Indigenous peoples.
• Where we stand: The University of Minnesota and Dakhóta treaty lands Article by Čhaŋtémaza (Neil McKay) and Monica Siems McKay in the Open Rivers journal describing the history of the University of Minnesota in relation to the Dakhóta tribes.

Step 4: Find Indigenous communities, organizations, and businesses

The land acknowledgement you write will vary depending on its purpose. What is your end goal? Some possibilities are:

• To educate yourself and others.
• To encourage some form of action beyond the land acknowledgement.
• To provide a jumping-off or centering point for reflection and discussion.

No matter what your purpose, finding Indigenous businesses, artists, communities, initiatives, and organizations to support is a good first step toward taking action.

To find businesses and organizations in Minnesota try the Minnesota Indigenous Business Alliance directory.

Some Indigenous-led initiatives in Minnesota are:

• Dream of Wild Health
• Makoce Ikikcupi (Land Recovery)
• Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi
• Understand Native Minnesota

A land acknowledgement is not just a one-and-done deal. Hopefully, writing the acknowledgement gives you a jumping off point for learning, understanding, working with, and supporting Indigenous Peoples and initiatives. New understanding, perspectives, initiatives, and challenges mean that a land acknowledgement will grow and change. Take the time to do a yearly review and revision. Put it on your calendar!

Selected resources for more learning!

Non-fiction books.

• UMN catalog (audiobook)

• UMN catalog (ebook)

Fiction books

• UMN catalog (ebook)  - note the ebook is available to all Minnesota residents through Ebooks Minnesota. 

Podcasts and websites

• All My Relations On each episode hosts Matika Wilbur (Tulalip and Swinomish) and Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation), delve into a different topic facing Native peoples today, bringing in guests from all over Indian Country to offer perspectives and stories.
• The Henceforward The podcast began as part of a graduate course taught by Eve Tuck at the University of Toronto. The intention of the course, and the podcast, is to examine settler colonialism and anti-blackness as entwined historical and contemporary social structures. The podcast appraises lived consequences for Indigenous peoples, Black peoples, European settlers, and other arrivals. It considers theories of decolonization and abolition within settler colonial contexts.
• Native Opinion The Hosts of this show are Michael Kickingbear, an enrolled member of the Mashantucket Pequot tribal nation of Connecticut and David GreyOwl, of the Echoda Eastern Band of Cherokee nation of Alabama. Together they present Indigenous views on American history, politics, the environment, and culture. This show is open to all people, and its main focus is to provide education and insight about all things Native American.
• The Red Nation The Red Nation is dedicated to the liberation of Native peoples from capitalism and colonialism. Links to the blog, the podcasts The Red Nation, Red Power Hour, and Bands of Turtle Island, and more Indigenous media.
• This Land Each season host Rebecca Nagle tells the story of a present day challenge to tribal sovereignty.
• Toasted Sister Podcast The Toasted Sister Podcast is all about Native American food, food sovereignty, people and culture. Hosted and produced by Andi Murphy, Diné journalist.

Streaming films

The links provided below go to the item page in "Just Watch" which will provide streaming options for the film. In cases where the UMN Libraries have a streaming license for the film, the link to the catalog record is provided.

• Ohiyesa: The Soul of an Indian (2018) A deeply personal family film that follows Kate Beane, an urban, Dakota scholar, and her family as they trace the remarkable life of their celebrated relative, Ohiyesa (Charles Eastman), an important author, activist, lecturer and one of the first Native American doctors. Along the way, Beane uncovers uncanny parallels between their lives, though they were born more than 100 years apart.
• Stream on Kanopy with your UMN ID.
• Gather (2020) Gather is an intimate portrait of a growing movement amongst Indigenous Americans to reclaim their spiritual and cultural identities through obtaining sovereignty over their ancestral food systems, while battling against the historical trauma brought on by centuries of genocide.
• Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World Documentary about the role of Native Americans in popular music history, a little-known story built around the incredible lives and careers of the some of the greatest music legends.

• TeachableMoment

Creating a Class Land Acknowledgment Statement

Students learn about the growing effort to acknowledge the Indigenous people whose lands we inhabit - and create their own land acknowledgment statement.

• Native Americans
• Colonialism

Preparation

In advance of this activity, consider sending your students an anonymous poll asking them the true/false questions below. (Alternatively, make this an informal poll during class.)

• I have been somewhere where a land acknowledgment was made, and I have a vague idea what they are for.
• I have been lots of places where land acknowledgements were made, and I know a lot about them.
• I have never been somewhere where a land acknowledgement was made and don't know anything about them.
• I have heard about people doing land acknowledgments and am interested in understanding what they are.

DAY 1: What is a Land Acknowledgment Statement?

Invite each student in turn to think about and then share one thing they love about the natural environment in your area.

If you live in a city, think about the trees; the birds; bugs; the moss that lives between the cracks in the concrete; parks with grass, plants, flowers; the sky, clouds, or light.

Introduction

Share with students the results of the survey: What do we know of land acknowledgments?

Work with students to arrive at a working definition of what a “land acknowledgement statement” is and its purpose is.  (For example:  It is a formal statement that pays tribute to the original inhabitants of the land you are on. The purpose is to show respect for Indigenous peoples and recognize their enduring relationship to the land.)

 Ask students:

• Who lived on the land we are on before European colonizers arrived?
• If we DO know, what do we know about those people?
• If we DON’T know, why don’t we? 

Video & Discussion

Invite students to watch this 4-minute video about land acknowledgements:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETOhNzBsiKA&feature=emb_rel_pause 

After watching the video, ask students:

• What struck you most about this video?
• What feelings did it bring up for you?
• What did you learn?
• What other thoughts and reactions do you have about the video?

Reading & Discussion

Invite students to read (either silently to themselves or out loud as a class) this short backgrounder on Indigenous peoples and the movement to acknowledge those who lived on the land we now inhabit.

After students have read the backgrounder, ask them to share their thoughts and reflections about the reading. This might involve the whole class, or could take place in smaller breakout groups, with time to share out from each group when the whole class reconvenes.  

Backgrounder on Indigenous Peoples & Land Acknowledgment

pdf version  

In the United States today, there are more than five hundred federally recognized Indigenous nations comprising nearly three million people. These people are the descendants of the fifteen million Native people who once inhabited this land.  

Indigenous people of the Americas shaped life in the Western Hemisphere for millennia. When European colonists arrived in North America in the 1600s, this land was filled with diverse, long-established societies.

Over the next three centuries, European settlers and their governments pursued a program of genocide and land theft against Native peoples across the continent, and denied them the right to govern themselves.

Throughout this history, and continuing today, Indigenous peoples have fought for their survival and their cultures. Historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz describes the “culture of resistance” that has allowed Native peoples to survive and create a legacy: “Native people continue to fight to maintain the integrity and viability of Indigenous societies,” she writes. “American Indian history is one of cultural persistence, creative adaptation, renewal, and resilience.”

Most non-Indigenous Americans know very little, and are taught very little, about those who originally lived and thrived on the lands we now occupy – or about Native lives and  cultures today.   Researchers have found that:

• The majority of Americans know little to nothing about Native Americans.
• Many Americans are not clear how many Native peoples still exist.
• Invisibility is one of the biggest barriers Native peoples face in advocating for tribal sovereignty, equity, and social justice.
• Invisibility, erasure of history, stereotypes and false narratives underlie the stories being told right now about Native people in the 21st century.

Fortunately, surveys also find that most Americans want to change: They want to learn more about Native cultures; they support Native positions on most issues; and they support significant changes to K-12 curricula to ensure accurate Native history and culture is taught in schools.

Historian Jack Forbes, of  Powhatan-Renapé  and  Lenape  descent, maintained that “while living persons are not responsible for what their ancestors did, they are responsible for the society they live in, which is a product of that past.”

Learning about and acknowledging the people on whose land we live is one way we can begin to take responsibility for our country’s ongoing injustices against Native peoples. And it is a step that can be mind-opening and enriching for us.

In Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, school days and meetings — and even sports games – often  begin with a land acknowledgment: a formal statement that pays tribute to the original inhabitants of the land. The purpose of these land acknowledgment statements is to show respect for Indigenous peoples and recognize their enduring relationship to the land. Practicing acknowledgment – at events, in our writings, and elsewhere, can also raise awareness about the suppressed histories of Native peoples.

“There have always been Indigenous peoples in the spaces we call home, and there always will be,” Kanyon Sayers-Roods, a Mutsun Ohlone activist in Northern California, told  Teen Vogue . “The acknowledgment process is about asking, What does it mean to live in a post-colonial world? What did it take for us to get here? And how can we be accountable to our part in history?”

Land acknowledgment statements can be short, simply citing the name or names of the tribes that inhabited the land, or they can include more extensive information. Morningside Center for Teaching Responsibility adopted this land acknowledgment statement for the work it does in New York City.  

Questions for discussion:

• What struck you most about the reading? What questions do you have about it?
• Why do you think most Americans know so little about Indigenous peoples? 
• Do you know less than you would like to about the people on whose land you are living? If so, what would you like to know and why?  
• Why do you think you or we as a class have so little information about this?  
• What is the purpose of a land acknowledgment statement?
• What impact do you think it might have if gatherings regularly began with an acknowledgment of the people whose land we are on?

Next, ask students to consider:

• Do we want to create a land acknowledgement statement for our class?

Research Assignment

If students do want to create a statement, ask them to research the following questions as homework:

• What Indigenous peoples originally lived in our area?
• What is known about these peoples at the time of colonization?
• What happened once white settlers arrived? How did the Indigenous people here respond?
• Where are these peoples today, and what  can we find out about them? Can we find writings or videos about them and their lives?

Ask students to write at least one paragraph about the people on whose land they now live to share with class in our next session.

Resources: 

This Interactive Lands map may be helpful:   https://Native-land.ca/ Also see this guide to land acknowledgments: https://Nativegov.org/a-guide-to-Indigenous-land-acknowledgment/

Invite students to read this quote from Mary Lyons of the Leech Lake Bank of Ojiwe:

“When we talk about land, land is part of who we are. It’s a mixture of our blood, our past, our current, and our future. We carry our ancestors in us, and they’re around us.”

DAY TWO:  Creating a Land Acknowledgment Statement  

Ask students to imagine what the land in your area might have looked like before European colonists arrived. What is the natural look of the land?  What is the terrain like? What are the natural features of the land?  Ask volunteers to share a few images that come to them. 

Activity: Who Lived Here?

Invite students to share what they learned and what they have written. Together as a class, consider:

• What did we learn about the people whose land we occupy?
• Have we come up with similar information? Conflicting information? Were there multiple peoples who lived in this area, perhaps in different periods?
• What strikes you  most about what you or others have learned?
• What additional questions do you have?
• How can we find out more?

Ask students what points would be important to include in a land acknowledgment statement by the class. Record their responses. Remember that their land acknowledgment statement might be just a couple of sentences, or several paragraphs.

Work with students to arrive at a land acknowledgment statement from your class. 

Once you have created the statement, brainstorm with students about what the class might do with it. Possibilities include:

• Read either the full statement or a short version of it at each class gathering. (Students might take turns reading the statement.)
• Publicize the statement throughout the school.
• Plan a presentation or workshop for fellow students about what they have learned.
• Work to get the statement read before school gatherings, whether in person on online.
• Reach out to the media to let them know about what the class has learned and what they are trying to do about it.

Students might also consider doing further research on the peoples who once inhabited this land – both what their lives were like before the arrival of Europeans, and what their lives and contributions are today.

Ask students:

• What is one thing you would like to say personally to someone whose ancestors used to live on this land? 
• What is one thing you would like to DO to address the injustice that has occurred?

Share this Page

National Geographic Education Blog

Bring the spirit of exploration to your classroom.

Land Acknowledgements as Living Things

The connection of life and language.

This post was co-written by educators, Whitney Aragaki & tia North .

With school back in session in much of the world and in honor of Indigenous People’s Day around the corner, we’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to acknowledge Indigenous people in our classrooms. 

Our classrooms are, by geographic measurement, roughly 2,500 miles apart, but the land and its history connect us. We grew up together in Hawaiʻi—learned in the same preschool, swam in the same waters, and ventured into the same rainforests. As individuals, our education and careers have taken us on diverse paths: One, a Native Hawaiian , is currently residing in Eugene, Oregon and teaches poetry and writing in Higher Ed. One, a Japanese settler , is fortunate to remain on Hawai‘i Island and teaches science at a public high school. Today, the conversation of land acknowledgements brings us back together.

Land acknowledgements have become features of educational spaces. We’re in contact with them in email signatures, website homepages, at the start of conferences, and more, replicated or repeated seemingly from templates. In the classroom, land acknowledgements are often couched in a conversation with #decolonizing a lesson. But are these statements doing what we want them to do? 

We ask a lot of land acknowledgement statements these days in the wake of a collective remembering. We want them to be and do everything: heal, teach, light, open, recognize, etc. If we treat land acknowledgements as static objects, however, how can they fulfill such lofty aspirations? To remember the words of our kumu (teacher), Manulani Aluli Meyer, “nouns have always been verbs.” We come back to this lesson today.

As a biology and a writing teacher, life and language are at the heart of our teaching. And as children of Hawaiʻi, we come to this conversation because our kuleana (role/responsibility) is to serve ‘āina (land). While a direct translation of ʻāina is land in Hawaiian, the nuanced translation is of land and water, and all that thrive on them – humans, animals, plants, fungi . For us, land acknowledgments are the recognition of ʻāina, past and present—the connection of life and language, verbs incarnate.

For us, land acknowledgements are living things.

In our classrooms, we work with land acknowledgements to practice holding expertise. We resist the idea that one is either an expert or one is not. Instead, everyone has access to holding expertise. Here are some of the ways in which to think about incorporating land acknowledgements in your classroom:

Early learners can identify, record, sort, describe, or classify tangible details of a land acknowledgment. Historical events tailored to age-appropriate learning can complement these details. For developing learners, establishing context and verifying the relevance and accuracy of information through discussions and guided questions can be beneficial. 

The process deepens the product. Engaging in land acknowledgement as a verb, a continued action, moves our impact. There are aspects to land acknowledgements that require a knowledge base and guided practice. Stick with it, especially in the discomfort. This is where our deepest learning happens. We are growing along with you.

Whitney is a fifth-generation Japanese settler on Hawaiʻi Island. She teaches high school biology and AP Environmental Science. Whitney holds a BA in Biology from Swarthmore College, a M.Sc. in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, and is a Ph.D. Candidate in Education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She is a two-time state finalist for the Presidential Awards of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. 

t. north (she/they) is an ʻŌiwi poet, educator, and ʻāina aloha from Panaʻewa, Hawaiʻi in the ahupuaʻa of Waiākea. She teaches poetry and writing and serves as the Associate Director of Composition at the University of Oregon. She is a Composition Teacher of the Year, Williams Recipient, and the Inaugural Culturally Responsive Teaching Fellow for the Department of English.

Lead image taken by Madeline Onassis / Unsplash.

Share this:

• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Discover more from national geographic education blog.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

• Skip to the Content
• Skip to the Footer

Native American Institute

• Guide to Land Acknowledgements

A land acknowledgement is an optional statement, often given at the beginning of organized events, celebrations and activities, or published in printed materials. A shortened land acknowledgement can also be used for email signatures. The purpose of a land acknowledgement is to recognize, respect and affirm the ongoing relationship between Indigenous people and the land. Land acknowledgements also raise awareness about the Indigenous histories, perspectives and experiences that are often suppressed or forgotten.

Giving a Land Acknowledgement

There are hundreds of Indigenous communities across the United States. Giving a land acknowledgement requires research and reflection to understand the historical and contemporary Indigenous communities having a relationship with the land. A land acknowledgement can be a few sentences or several pages. It is important the statement honors and names the communities, and recognizes the occupied or unceded nature and history of the land. Although land acknowledgements are powerful statements, they are only meaningful when they are coupled with authentic and sustained relationships with Indigenous communities and community-informed actions.

• MSU Land Acknowledgement

The MSU Native American Institute provides a land acknowledgement for the university based to raise awareness about the Indigenous histories, perspectives and experiences that took place before Michigan State University.

Land Acknowledgement for Michigan State University

“Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples. In particular, the university resides on land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw. We recognize Michigan’s 12 federally recognized Native Nations, historic Indigenous communities in Michigan, Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and those who were forcibly removed from their homelands. In offering this land acknowledgement, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history and experiences.”

Shortened Land Acknowledgement for Michigan State University

“Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples. The university resides on land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw .”

Michigan Tribal Colleges

• Bay Mills Community College
• Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
• Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College
• Tribal Governments (Michigan.gov)
• National Congress of American Indians
• U.S. Department of the Interior

MSU & NAI Resources

• MSU & the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw
• Honoring the Whole Student Workbook
• Reciprocal Research Guidebook

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

So you began your event with an Indigenous land acknowledgment. Now what?

Chloe Veltman

A land acknowledgment is a statement before an event recognizing the Indigenous communities that originally inhabited the space where the event is taking place. Above, a high-resolution topographic image released by NASA in 2003. NASA/Getty Images hide caption

A land acknowledgment is a statement before an event recognizing the Indigenous communities that originally inhabited the space where the event is taking place. Above, a high-resolution topographic image released by NASA in 2003.

Land acknowledgments have become increasingly common nationwide over the past few years. Many mainstream public events — from soccer games and performing arts productions to city council meetings and corporate conferences — begin with these formal statements recognizing Indigenous communities' rights to territories seized by colonial powers.

Indigenous leaders and activists have mixed feelings about land acknowledgments. While some say they are a waste of time, others are working to make the well-meaning but often empty speeches more useful. The debate is more than a niche issue; the pros and cons of land acknowledgments are the subject of myriad mainstream media articles , social media posts and online videos . And they've even been parodied on TV, in series like Reservation Dogs, about the exploits of a group of Oklahoma Indigenous teens.

A scene parodying land acknowledgments from the Hulu series Reservation Dogs.

In one ear and out the other

"If it becomes routine, or worse yet, is strictly performative, then it has no meaning at all," said Kevin Gover , a citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and undersecretary for museums and culture at the Smithsonian Institution . "It goes in one ear and out the other." (Gover said only one or two Smithsonian museums have land acknowledgments; the National Museum of the American Indian is among those that do, and its acknowledgment is only one sentence long.)

Gover said the statements — which first appeared in Australia back in the 1970s in the push for Aboriginal peoples' rights and more recently blossomed in Canada with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report , which brought to light how generations of Indigenous schoolchildren had been stripped of their native languages and cultural traditions — can also feel disempowering to the very people they're supposed to uplift.

"If I hear a land acknowledgment, part of what I'm hearing is, 'There used to be Indians here. But now they're gone. Isn't that a shame?' And I don't wish to be made to feel that way," Gover said.

A first step toward positive action

But other Indigenous experts say land acknowledgments do have value. If people are thinking about how they go about crafting and using these statements, they can provide a first step toward action.

"The land acknowledgment gets you to that start," said Cutcha Risling Baldy , a member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe and an associate professor of Native American Studies at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt . "Now it's time to think about what that actually means for you or your institution. What are the concrete actions you're gonna take? What are the ways you're gonna assist Indigenous peoples in uplifting and upholding their sovereignty and self-determination?"

Flyer advertising Cutcha Risling Baldy's talk at Dominican University in which she used the land acknowledgment to solicit support for the First Nations Garden in nearby Chicago. Fawn Pochel hide caption

Flyer advertising Cutcha Risling Baldy's talk at Dominican University in which she used the land acknowledgment to solicit support for the First Nations Garden in nearby Chicago.

Baldy demonstrates how land acknowledgments can be used in talks she gives around the country. For example, she used the land acknowledgment at the start of a lecture at Dominican University in River Forest, Ill., in November 2022 to ask audience members to support an Indigenous community garden nearby Chicago.

"She put up a QR code for people to donate directly to the First Nations Garden ," said Fawn Pochel, who was in Baldy's audience that day. "She literally paused so people could take pictures and create donations."

Pochel, who identifies as First Nations Ojibwe and is part of the community organization effort around the First Nations Garden, said her group received more than $200 in unexpected donations within 24 hours due to Baldy's callout during the land acknowledgment.

"That was a direct result of her uplifting our space during her conversation," Pochel said.

Putting land acknowledgments to further use

Sometimes land acknowledgments can lead to more than one-off donations.

At Shotgun Players , a theater company in Berkeley, Calif., all performances and staff meetings begin with a 45-second-long statement acknowledging, "that the land beneath our theater and our studios and throughout East Bay is Huichin, the traditional unceded land of the Lisjan Ohlone people."

Artistic director Patrick Dooley, who's not Native American, said having a land acknowledgment helps remind his theater company and audience of their privileges.

"We're just here for a brief time," Dooley said. "And the way we can really honor our opportunity to live wherever we live is to acknowledge and honor the people that came before us."

The company developed its land acknowledgment three years ago in collaboration with the Sogorea Te' Land Trust , a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit focused on Indigenous land return.

"When we work with people around creating land acknowledgments, it really has to be a reciprocal relationship," said Corrina Gould , co-director of the land trust and tribal chair of the Confederated Villages of Lisjan-Ohlone .

The theater company takes the reciprocity seriously.

Which Indigenous lands are you on? This map will show you

Code Switch

The map of native american tribes you've never seen before.

Artistic director Dooley said Shotgun Players pays a voluntary land tax — known as " Shuumi Land Tax ," incorporating the Chochenyo word for "gift" — of between $3,000 and $6,000 a year to the trust. (Dooley said the amount depends on the company's annual income). The theater company has also offered the trust tickets to performances and invitations to use its space.

Sogorea Te' Land Trust co-director Gould said she'd like to see Shotgun Players do even more, including hiring Indigenous theater artists.

"We're hoping that it'll be a long-term relationship that our children will be able to say, 'Hey, this started a long time ago, but we're still in this together,' " said Gould, who added her organization has been developing deeper relationships with a variety of local organizations including Oakland Roots soccer team and Berkeley Repertory Theatre .

Shotgun's Dooley said he agrees. But he admits he still needs to do more to seek out Indigenous talent for his theater's productions.

"We have a seasoned selection committee," the artistic director said. "And one of the priorities that we have is to do that."

Audio and digital stories edited by Ciera Crawford . Audio produced by Isabella Gomez-Sarmiento . Web copy edited by Beth Novey . Editorial consultant, Sam Yellowhorse Kesler .

Correction March 23, 2023

We have replaced the map initially included with this story as it is a work in progress, and could be misinterpreted to represent all tribal lands.

• Smithsonian Institution
• Shotgun Players
• Sogorea Te' Land trust
• land acknowledgment

• About Native Knowledge 360°
• Essential Understandings
• Featured Items
• Search NK360° Educational Resources
• Instructional Resources
• Informational Resources
• Resources Beyond the Museum
• Group Information
• imagiNATIONS Activity Center
• About Native Americans
• About Virtual Teacher Institute

Honoring Original Indigenous Inhabitants: Land Acknowledgment

Land acknowledgment is a traditional custom that dates back centuries in many Native nations and communities. Today, land acknowledgments are used by Native Peoples and non-Natives to recognize Indigenous Peoples who are the original stewards of the lands on which we now live. Before public events and other important gatherings hosted by the National Museum of the American Indian, a speaker offers this acknowledgment displayed in the quote container on behalf of everyone present.

After millennia of Native history, and centuries of displacement and dispossession, acknowledging original Indigenous inhabitants is complex. Many places in the Americas have been home to different Native Nations over time, and many Indigenous people no longer live on lands to which they have ancestral ties. Even so, Native Nations, communities, families, and individuals today sustain their sense of belonging to ancestral homelands and protect these connections through Indigenous languages, oral traditions, ceremonies, and other forms of cultural expression. The museum's acknowledgment is intended to recognize the Indigenous peoples who have lived where we now work over the long span of human history and the large contemporary Native population that lives in the Washington area and New York City today.

When people ask for guidance in making land acknowledgments, we suggest reaching out directly to local Indigenous communities and to Native Nations forcibly removed from the area in the past to ask how they want to be recognized. Land acknowledgments can be spoken at the beginning of public and private gatherings, from school programs and sporting events to town halls.

Making a land acknowledgment should be motivated by genuine respect and support for Native Peoples. Speaking and hearing words of recognition is an important step in creating collaborative, accountable, continuous, and respectful relationships with Indigenous nations and communities.

Land Acknowledgements

by Moose Hide Campaign | Aug 24, 2023 | Grades 7-12 , Grades K-12 , Grades K-5

How to honour the Indigenous People’s land where you live, work and play. To make a land acknowledgement, you need to know the Indigenous group(s) on whose traditional lands you live and work.

A land acknowledgement is a way to honour the Indigenous Peoples who live, have lived, and have thrived on the lands we occupy today. It is important to understand the history of the place we are on and its relationship with the original stewards of that land. Understanding the history and present challenges and relationships must be learned for reconciliation to occur.

DOWNLOAD THE LESSON PLAN NOW!

Click on the image to open the PDF!

FOLLOW ALONG WITH THIS VIDEO!

To make a land acknowledgement, you need to know the Indigenous group(s) on whose traditional lands you live and work.

Now that you know which lands you are on, you can create your script. Your script should include the traditional territory, a thank you, and be spoken from the heart in a good way to honour the Indigenous Peoples who have been the stewards of the land since time immemorial. On the following page, you will see a sample script; you can choose to use this one and fill in the blanks or create your own unique script.

Sample Acknowledgement

I would like to acknowledge that I am currently residing on the traditional territory of the (Add Nations). I am thankful that I get to live in this beautiful territory (you can speak to some specific things on the territory you are thankful for). I promise to honour this land and its traditional stewards by taking care of the land and supporting the communities around me. Thank you.

Recent Posts

• DerRic Starlight (featuring Kendra Jessie) – Storytelling through puppetry and dance
• The Medicine Within with DerRic Starlight
• Storytelling Through Puppetry with DerRic Starlight
• Traditional Stories with Julie Pellissier-Lush
• David Robertson – Storytelling as an author  

Recent Comments

Lesson Plans

We collaborated with Anishinaabe educator  Christine M'lot  to develop lessons that serve to teach students about the land they are learning on by viewing and creating original land acknowledgements and being introduced to complex topics concepts such as who Indigenous people are, what the term settler refers to and notions such as broken promises and renewed commitments to share the land.

They've been broken down into three grade levels, and depending on their age, students will either create a class or personal land acknowledgement using Whose.land as a resource.

Image by   Ruby Bruce

Professional Learning / Workplaces

This workshop series will introduce participants to Indigenous topics such as Indigenous naming terminology, history of Indigenous and settler relationships in Canada and the importance of land acknowledgements. First, to assess prior knowledge, participants will engage in small group discussions centering around the theme of culture, land and place. Next, participants will be tasked with learning one aspect of Indigenous history. Participants will rotate groups to share their knowledge with others. Finally, participants will collaborate on a suitable workplace or individual Indigenous land acknowledgement.

This workshop is designed to be an easily implementable lunch-and-learn series facilitated by a fellow co-worker volunteer or group of volunteers.

Explore the PD/Workplace Activity

• Sharing personal experiences and connections to land and place
• Recognizing Indigenous perspectives and connections to land and place
• Using language to demonstrate respect and further reconciliation.

Explore the Grades K-5 Lesson Plan

• Students will participate in a grounding mediation and then discuss the importance of land and place
• Students will engage in guided research about Indigenous Peoples and land acknowledgements using the Whose Land website as a resource
• Students will co-create the Indigenous Land Acknowledgement rubric based on the information they learned from the Whose Land website
• Students will engage in the editing process in order to strengthen their writing.

Explore the Grades 6-9 Lesson Plan

Grades 10-12

• Students will participate in small group discussions to tap into prior knowledge and discuss prior learning as well as personal opinions and experiences relating to land and place
• Students will engage in inquiry research about Indigenous Peoples and land acknowledgements using the Whose Land website
• Groups will present their projects to the class and individual students will evaluate their feelings during each stage of the process, reflecting on their metacognition

Explore the Grades 10-12 Lesson Plan

These resources are available for educators to use, share, and build upon through a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 license ( CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

A guide to Indigenous land acknowledgment

Native Governance Center co-hosted an Indigenous land acknowledgment event with the Lower Phalen Creek Project on Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2019 (October 14). The event featured the following talented panelists: Dr. Kate Beane (Flandreau Santee Dakota and Muskogee Creek), Mary Lyons (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe), Rose Whipple (Isanti Dakota and Ho-Chunk), Rhiana Yazzie (Diné), and Cantemaza (Neil) McKay (Spirit Lake Dakota). We’ve created this handy guide to Indigenous land acknowledgment based on our panelists’ responses.

Why is Indigenous Land Acknowledgment Important?

“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

“When we talk about land, land is part of who we are. It’s a mixture of our blood, our past, our current, and our future. We carry our ancestors in us, and they’re around us. As you all do.” – Mary Lyons (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe)

Tips for Creating an Indigenous Land Acknowledgment Statement

Key components:.

Start with self-reflection. Before starting work on your land acknowledgment statement, reflect on the process:

• Why am I doing this land acknowledgment? (If you’re hoping to inspire others to take action to support Indigenous communities, you’re on the right track. If you’re delivering a land acknowledgment out of guilt or because everyone else is doing it, more self-reflection is in order.)
• What is my end goal? (What do you hope listeners will do after hearing the acknowledgment?)
• When will I have the largest impact? (Think about your timing and audience, specifically.)

Do your homework. Put in the time necessary to research the following topics:

• The Indigenous people to whom the land belongs.
• The history of the land and any related treaties.
• Names of living Indigenous people from these communities. If you’re presenting on behalf of your work in a certain field, highlight Indigenous people who currently work in that field. Indigenous place names and language.
• Correct pronunciation for the names of the Tribes, places, and individuals that you’re including.

Use appropriate language. Don’t sugarcoat the past. Use terms like genocide, ethnic cleansing, stolen land, and forced removal to reflect actions taken by colonizers.

Use past, present, and future tenses. Indigenous people are still here, and they’re thriving. Don’t treat them as a relic of the past .

Land acknowledgments shouldn’t be grim. They should function as living celebrations of Indigenous communities. Ask yourself, “How am I leaving Indigenous people in a stronger, more empowered place because of this land acknowledgment?” Focus on the positivity of who Indigenous people are today.

Additional factors to consider:

Don’t ask an Indigenous person to deliver a “welcome” statement for your organization. Cantemaza McKay (Spirit Lake Nation) explains this very clearly. Check out our land acknowledgment event livestream , and hear his comments at the 27-minute mark.

Build real, authentic relationships with Indigenous people. In addition to normal employment and family obligations, Indigenous people are working to heal their traumas, learn their languages, and support their nations. If you reach out for help, lead the conversation by asking an Indigenous person what you can do for them. Chances are, they’re likely overworked and could use your help.

Compensate Indigenous people for their emotional labor. If you do plan to reach out to an Indigenous person or community for help, compensate them fairly. Too often, Indigenous people are asked to perform emotional labor for free.

Understand displacement and how that plays into land acknowledgment. Land acknowledgment is complicated. Remember that the United States government displaced many Tribes from land before treaties were signed.

There are many types of land acknowledgments. Don’t expect to find a specific formula or template. Land acknowledgments that come from Indigenous people vs. non-Indigenous people look different, too.

Take action:

• Land acknowledgment alone is not enough. It’s merely a starting point. Ask yourself: how do I plan to take action to support Indigenous communities? Some examples of ways to take action:
• Support Indigenous organizations by donating your time and/or money.
• Support Indigenous-led grassroots change movements and campaigns. Encourage others to do so.
• Commit to returning land. Local, state, and federal governments around the world are currently returning land to Indigenous people . Individuals are returning their land, too. Research your options to return your land.

At the end of the day, remember:

Starting somewhere is better than not trying at all. We need to share in Indigenous peoples’ discomfort. They’ve been uncomfortable for a long time. Dr. Kate Beane (Flandreau Santee Dakota and Muskogee Creek) says, “We have to try. Starting out with good intentions and a good heart is what matters most.”

Visit our resources page for more helpful land acknowledgment tools! And read our own land acknowledgment statement: The Land We’re On .

Indigenous Resources

Introduction.

• Search the Library: Books, Articles and Film
• Respectful Research
• Research Portals
• Literature, News and Media
• Decolonization and Education
• Indigenous Languages
• Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls
• Residential Schools
• Truth and Reconciliation
• Land Acknowledgements
• Treaties /Government/ Reports
• Help This link opens in a new window

"In Canada, a land or territorial acknowledgement is a necessarily political statement which recognizes the ongoing relationships between Indigenous Peoples and the land within the context of colonialism. This statement is often made by the host of a gathering as a way to acknowledge the true history of the land on which the gathering is being held.

Land acknowledgements have become more common over the last several years and have at times been criticized for being a surface-level engagement with reconciliatory processes. There has been an increased interest in how to make land acknowledgements more meaningful so that they go beyond being a checklist item.

A land acknowledgement may be seen as an educational opportunity, for the writer as well as for their audience. It can be a process of reflection as one considers their own relationship to the land and to the shared histories between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples" (with permission from Okanagan College Library's Land Acknowledgements guide .)

Land Acknowledgement Guides

It is important to seek guidance from Elders and the Indigenous Peoples on whose lands you reside to gain clarity and meaning if you are have important questions about your own land acknowledgements.   Below are a number of informative guides that might assist you in developing a personal land acknowledgement.

Capilano Student Union's Land Acknowledgement Guide :  Focused and informative guide about land acknowledgements for Capilano University.

Doing Land Acknowledgments:   A comprehensive guide from UBC's Decolonization & Anti-racism Guide .  

Liberated Yet?  Khelsilem’s Tips for Acknowledging Territory 1.0 :  Khelsilem tells it like it is - A thoughtful and provocative guide!

LISSA Land Acknowledgement, Template for Personalization, Definitions, and Speaker Protocol : This is an extremely helpful document from the University of Alberta's Library and Information Sciences Students' Association.  Highly recommended!

CAUT (Canadian Association of University Teachers) Guide  to Acknowledging First Peoples & Traditional Territory : This guide gives general guidance and includes examples of the official land acknowledgements of universities and colleges in Canada.

BCGEU Guide to First Nations Acknowledgement, Protocol & Terminology : This is from the BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) and has some useful information on land acknowledgement practices.

Articles and Media

• What's wrong with land acknowledgments, and how to make them better 5 First Nations people weigh in with their thoughts, advice and expectations.
• 'I regret it': Hayden King on writing Ryerson University's territorial acknowledgement Indigenous Scholar Hayden King reflects on his experience with Land Acknowledgements at Ryerson University.

Capilano University's Land Acknowledgement

Capilano University's current land acknowledgement on the website :   Capilano University is named after Chief Joe Capilano, an important leader of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation of the Coast Salish Peoples. We respectfully acknowledge that our campuses are located on the territories of the LíỈwat, xʷməθkʷəỷəm (Musqueam), shíshálh (Sechelt), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and SəỈílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

• << Previous: Truth and Reconciliation
• Next: Treaties /Government/ Reports >>
• Last Updated: Jan 25, 2024 10:25 AM
• URL: https://libguides.capilanou.ca/indigenous-resources

This Interactive Map Shows Which Indigenous Lands You Live On

The nonprofit behind the tool wants people to learn the history of the spaces they inhabit

Jacquelyne Germain

Staff Contributor

In  1990 , the month of November was officially designated Native American Heritage Month in the United States. “Native American Indians were the original inhabitants of the lands that now constitute the United States of America,” the government  resolution  read, noting Native peoples’ “essential and unique contribution to our nation.” This November, you can learn more about North America’s  first  inhabitants by finding out which Indigenous lands you live on, using a collaborative,  interactive map .

Since launching on Native-Land.ca in 2015, the tool has helped people discover the history of the land they inhabit. Created by Victor Temprano and now overseen by Indigenous-led nonprofit Native Land Digital , the map first functioned as a “resource pointed at settlers and non-Indigenous people to, in a not-too-confrontational way, start thinking about Indigenous history,” Temprano told Mashable ’s Heather Dockray in 2018.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Native Land Digital Map (@nativelandnet)

Today, Native Land Digital is focused on improving both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people’s relationships with the lands around them through education. Per a Facebook post, they “hope to strengthen the spiritual bonds that people have with the land, its people and its meaning.” They strive to “create and foster conversations about the history of colonialism, Indigenous ways of knowing and settler-Indigenous relations.”

The map is built from user contributions and feedback, with developers consistently updating and editing it using new information. In May 2023, Native Land Digital collaborated with the  Partnership for the National Trails System to launch  Native Lands, National Trails , a map identifying the Indigenous lands hikers trek through on trails. Kiana Etsate-Gashytewa led the project, and, as she tells Conde Nast Traveler , Native Land Digital’s data is unique, inclusive and encompassing.

“It's being crowdsourced, which is more relevant and applicable, as it’s so Indigenous in the way we hold and care for our knowledge,” says Etsate-Gashytewa. “Our elders, who have years of knowledge, understanding and experience, don't need PhDs to have their voices validated when suggesting an edit on the site.”

As Temprano writes , the map’s popularity usually spikes around Canada’s National Aboriginal Day (June 21), Columbus Day—now designated Indigenous People’s Day in the U.S.—and Thanksgiving. On the website, users can type their city, state or ZIP code into a search bar to see which Indigenous communities reside or resided there. The tool includes an option to apply “settler labels” to see how the map corresponds with today’s state borders. If users click on the names of Indigenous nations, they’ll find links to related readings.

In addition to the map, the website includes a teacher’s guide to creating a lesson about Indigenous land, as well as geotagged lists of Indigenous languages and treaties . Users can click on a language to see where it’s spoken, or on a treaty to examine the area involved in a particular “Indian Land Cession.” Cessions , or treaties, occurred when colonial settlers like the United States or Britain successfully offered money or goods to Native peoples in exchange for their territory. The practice, peacefully exploitative in the early colonization of North America, turned violent by the turn of the 19th century, when colonists began more violent campaigns to force Indigenous people from their ancestral land.

To encourage recognition of that long history of displacement, Native Land Digital also provides a guide to territory acknowledgements .

“Territory acknowledgement is a way that people insert an awareness of Indigenous presence and land rights in everyday life,” writes the nonprofit. “This is often done at the beginning of ceremonies, lectures or any public event. It can be a subtle way to recognize the history of colonialism and a need for change in settler colonial societies.”

Next time you hear a land acknowledgement, please remember that acknowledging the land where one is standing does not make up for the history that it was taken from Indigenous people. — Lisa Richardson MD (@RicharLisa) May 19, 2021

Diana Cournoyer , executive director at the National Indian Education Association and a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, told Today that conversations about Indigenous history can be uncomfortable—but at the same time, they should aim to center Indigenous joy.

“Native people exist in pride today,” Cournoyer said. “We are thriving, we are innovating, we are creative, we are problem solvers, we are economic drivers in a lot of states, we make decisions and we are highly educated.”

Native Land Digital hopes that the map will provide young people with an interactive way to learn about Indigenous communities and start conversations surrounding Indigenous rights, McRae told Today.

“We have a responsibility to learn the history so that we don’t continue to perpetuate harm,” she said. “We’re having more and more of those conversations, and I’m very hopeful listening to a lot of youth from around the world who are incredible advocates and who make sure we take care of the land that we’re on, and who make sure that this land remains for future generations.”

Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Jacquelyne Germain | | READ MORE

Jacquelyne Germain is a reporter and former intern for Smithsonian magazine.

• 2024 Congress
• 2025 Congress
• Educational Webinars
• Past Congresses
• Event Code Of Conduct
• Awards Atlas
• Employment Resources

CSLA Guide to Land Acknowledgements

Photo: Candace Wasacase Lafferty accepts CSLA and SALA Honorary Membership from Brad Wilson, SALA President, and Chris Grosset, CSLA Immediate Past President (June, 2023, in Saskatoon)

This CSLA's Guide to Land Acknowledgements is intended to offer baseline information to guide members and friends of the CSLA as they embark on developing a land acknowledgement.

It is not to be viewed as a standardized checklist; rather, it provides the important considerations you will need to understand as you develop a meaningful land acknowledgement..

You are encouraged to research your context and seek out guidance and understanding from Indigenous organizations in the area for which you are preparing your land acknowledgement.

At times, traditional Territories have not been resolved or may overlap between Inuit, Metis, and First Nations as their extent varied over generations and long histories. Fixing territories based on a point in time makes definitive boundaries challenging. It is recommended to be inclusive in these instances and to research the Indigenous historical context you will be speaking from, live, or practice.  

What is a land acknowledgement?

Land acknowledgements are based on traditions and protocols of many Indigenous communities in Canada. They are a way for guests to recognize and show their respect for Indigenous communities and territories with which they are visiting and engaging.

Land acknowledgements are also a responsibility. They require the speaker to learn about the history of the land on which they work, live, and speak.

*Land Acknowledgements are not traditionally practiced in Inuit territories (see A Note about Inuit Nunangat)

Why are land acknowledgements important?

Recognition and respect are essential elements of establishing healthy, reciprocal relations - acknowledgements are one small part of disrupting and dismantling colonial structures. Delivering a land acknowledgement demonstrates gratitude, awareness, and recognition of Indigenous peoples and their traditional territories while disrupting euro-centric narratives. It is a necessary part of the reconciliation process as a way to recognize the history of colonialism and the need for change across Canadian society.

Our Responsibilities as Landscape Architects

The profession of landscape architecture can contribute to the national effort towards reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. Landscape architecture is concerned with relationships between people and the environment and offers an interdisciplinary approach that considers our environment in a holistic manner. The principles and goals of landscape architecture in Canada are well aligned with many of the values among Canada’s Indigenous cultures. Incorporation and consideration of Indigenous peoples, their values, their voices, and their knowledge in the planning, design and management of the Canadian landscape should be the goal of all landscape architects.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission defines ‘reconciliation’ as the establishment and maintenance of mutually respectful relationships between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous peoples. For that to happen, there has to be:

• Acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted
• Awareness of the past and atonement for the causes, and
• Action to change behaviour.

How do we do land acknowledgements?

Land acknowledgements should be a meaningful expression of your recognition for the Indigenous peoples and territory where the project, meeting, or gathering is located.

It’s important that a land acknowledgement change depending on where you are, what is happening, the issues being discussed, the communities involved, as well as what has been learned. This ensures that the Land Acknowledgement places the event, meeting, or gathering within the context of specific Indigenous histories and territories so that those participating keep this in mind.

Who should deliver them?

Land acknowledgements are undertaken by visitors, non-Indigenous residents, and Indigenous residents who live on another Nation’s traditional territory. They should not be confused with a territorial welcome, which is something an Indigenous person from that territory may provide when addressing guests.

When and where should they be delivered?

In most situations, land acknowledgment statements are shared orally at the beginning of an event. They can also be written and posted in physical and online spaces but this should supplement and not replace the protocol of a verbal land acknowledgement. For written statements, all the same guiding principles included throughout this guide apply.   

Know your Goal

Before beginning work on your land acknowledgment statement, reflect on what your goal is (e.g. to inspire others to take action in supporting Indigenous communities). Preparing a thoughtful acknowledgement requires time and care. You may find it helpful to reflect on and research questions such as:

• How does this acknowledgement relate to the event or work you are doing?
• What is the history of this territory? What are the impacts of colonialism here?
• What is your relationship to this territory? How did you come to be here?
• What intentions do you have to disrupt and dismantle colonialism beyond this land acknowledgement?  

Learn about the Land

Do your research to find out if the land you are gathering on is Treaty Territory, non-Treaty Territory, and/or part of Inuit Nunangat and/or Métis homelands. Find the names of local Indigenous peoples and communities who live in the area. A helpful resource to begin to identify territories and local nation is: https://native-land.ca/ but should be cross-referenced with other sources to ensure accuracy. 

At times, traditional Territories have not been resolved between Nations as their extent varied over generations and long histories. Fixing territories based on a point in time makes definitive boundaries challenging. It is recommended to be inclusive in these instances.   

Use the Correct Language and Pronunciation

Ensure that you are well informed by researching:

• pre and post settlement history of the land as well as related treaties
• correct pronunciation for the names of nations, communities, places, and individuals.
• use of appropriate identifying terms such as First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, rather than antiquated designations (e.g. Indian, native, etc.)
• use of terms like colonization, settler, assimilation, and stolen land to highlight actions taken in the past that have harmed Indigenous people.
• use of past, present, and future tenses thoughtfully. Indigenous people and cultures are alive and active - they are not a remnant of the past.

There are hundreds of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit groups in Canada, and many territorial names and titles that non-Indigenous people are not used to saying. Do not be afraid to ask questions and find out the names of Indigenous peoples connected with the territory, and how to correctly pronounce the names in your acknowledgement. 

If you are not sure how to pronounce names, there are several ways to learn, including:

• Respectfully asking someone from that nation, community or from a local organization such as a Friendship Centre.
• Check the website of the nation, organization or community; they may have a phonetic pronunciation on their “About” page, an audio-recording of their name, or videos that include people saying the nation’s name.
• Searching for the name of the people, nation or community on social media is another way of finding videos with pronunciations.
• Call the nation, community or organization after hours and listen to their answering machine recording.  

Make it Personal

Speaking from the heart about colonialism and your personal path on reconciliation is challenging but a good way to ensure your land acknowledgment is meaningful. Speak authentically to what you know: your own positionality, your background,(eg acknowledging you are a settler), your relationship to the land and with Indigenous Peoples, and your journey of reconciliation. Think also about why you are acknowledging the land and about how you are fulfilling your responsibilities as a person visiting or residing on that land. 

Relate your experience and the meeting itself to the Indigenous people of the land. Here are some examples:

• “As a non-Indigenous person myself, I am committed to… [describe your commitment to actively working against colonialism, towards reconciliation].”
• “As a visitor on this land, coming from [describe your background], I strive to deepen my own understanding of the local Indigenous communities…. I commit to reframing my responsibilities to land and community.”
• “I come with respect for this land that I am on today, and for the people who have and do reside here.”
• “The reason for our meeting today is to discuss a project that involves natural resources and directly impacts Indigenous communities. We acknowledge the need for meaningful
• consultation with Indigenous communities.”
• “We acknowledge the contributions of [name Indigenous community] to the project/work we are involved in today.”  

Online Meetings

Land acknowledgements need to be part of all gatherings, including virtual meetings. Depending on the location of your participants, you may acknowledge the territory you are on and “all the territories” those joining you in the meeting are connecting from and suggest that others might let the group know on whose territory they are connecting from by going around the call or through the chat if available.

Land acknowledgements need to be part of all gatherings, including virtual meetings. Depending on the location of your participants, you may acknowledge all Indigenous groups, or research the First Peoples of the land you are on. Here are examples of land acknowledgements you can reference and personalize:

• “I would like to begin by acknowledging the Indigenous Peoples of all the lands that we are on today. While we meet today on a virtual platform, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the importance of the lands, which we each call home. We do this to reaffirm our commitment and responsibility in improving relationships between nations and to improving our own understanding of local Indigenous peoples and their cultures.
• From coast to coast to coast, we acknowledge the ancestral territory of all Inuit, Métis, and First Nations people that call this land home.
• Please join me in a moment of reflection to acknowledge the effect of residential schools and colonialism on Indigenous families and communities and to consider how, in our own way, each of us is trying to move forward in a spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.”
• As a remote team, we encourage our team members, clients, and partners to reflect on colonialism’s enduring legacy and engage in reconciliation meaningfully.   

Other Ways to Acknowledge Land

Email signatures and websites can also include a land acknowledgement. They can be added to the signature block of an email or the home page of a website. Publications, reports and other formal documents may contain a land acknowledgement. Consider the physical space that you occupy, whether an office or facility, and explore ways you can ensure all visitors to your workplace are able to identify what traditional territory and land you are located on. For example, place a written land acknowledgement on a plaque in your lobby or common area.

The tradition of acknowledging territory is not a common practice among Inuit.

The Inuit homeland, Inuit Nunangat, stretches across Arctic lands and waters, comprising nearly one third of Canada's landmass, more than half of its coastline, and major marine areas, including land fast sea ice, inland waters and offshore areas. Inuit are a distinct rights-holding Indigenous People with their own history, identity, culture (including language) and way of life. Inuit Nunangat includes four separate regions, each with its own culture and history: •    Nunavut •    Nunavik (Quebec) •    Nunatsiavut (Labrador) •    Inuvialuit Settlement Region (Northwest Territories and Yukon)

Although land acknowledgements are not common in Inuit Nunangat, there are protocols for opening a meeting among Inuit that may vary by location. Seek the guidance of the host community about ceremonial practices which can include but are not limited to: an opening prayer, a qudliq ceremony (the lighting of a traditional oil lamp), or opening remarks or storytelling by an Elder. Should you wish to provide a territorial acknowledgment in Inuit Nunangat, the wording depends on whether there exists a modern land claims agreement. For example: “We acknowledge we are meeting in Iqaluit on lands covered by the Nunavut Agreement and within Inuit Nunangat.”

The Indian Act, 1985 does not apply to Inuit.

Through the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, the Government of Canada and Inuit are renewing their relationship based on the recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership. Across Inuit Nunangat, there are five modern treaties (also known as land claims agreements), and a single Inuit Treaty Organization or Government:

• Inuvialuit Final Agreement (self-governing) - The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation
• Nunavut Agreement - Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Government of Nunavut
• James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement - Makivik Corporation
• Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement - Makivik Corporation
• Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement - The Nunatsiavut Government

Acknowledgement and Other Ceremonial Practice

Although land acknowledgements are not common in Inuit Nunangat, there are protocols for opening a meeting among Inuit that may vary by location. Seek the guidance of the host community about ceremonial practices. Examples include (and are not limited to):

• An opening prayer
• A qudliq ceremony (the lighting of a traditional oil lamp)
• An Elder providing opening remarks and storytelling

Should you wish to provide a territorial acknowledgment in Inuit Nunangat, the wording depends on whether there exists a modern land claims agreement. For example, a meeting taking place in Iqaluit could include the following acknowledgement: “We acknowledge we are meeting in Iqaluit on lands covered by the Nunavut Agreement and within Inuit Nunangat.”  

• Library Catalogue

Positionality statement and land acknowledgement workshop

On this page

Prior to the workshop.

• Workshop resources & activities

Positionality

Land acknowledgements.

• Guiding principles
• Land acknowledgements in the digital realm

During the summer of 2019, Library staff members from various divisions collaborated on a reading circle around Indigenizing library instruction. This informal group continued into the fall of 2019, when we read sources focused more on politics prior to the federal election. The time and space offered participants a place to examine their practices and knowledge in a way that was supportive and safe. Based on the feedback, more informal learning and sharing was desired. One topic that was strongly requested was land acknowledgements, and how to authentically deliver them. Out of all this, the Decolonizing the Library Interest Group (DIG) was formed in late fall of 2019. 

Land acknowledgments have become a common practice across academic and other institutions all over Turtle Island , the name given to what is now known as North America by many Alognquain and Iroquois Nations. However, many questions have been raised about the practice of giving land acknowledgments and people often express concern about how to do an acknowledgment that is not simply a “checklist” item at the beginning of an event, workshop, or gathering. These statements can also end up being delivered in a rote format, without any recognition of the speaker’s positionality or reason for including the acknowledgment. 

The SFU Library’s Decolonizing the Library Interest Group collaborated with Dr. Alix Shield in 2020 to create a workshop titled “Writing Positionality Statements and Land Acknowledgements.” The intention of this workshop was to provide our library colleagues with an opportunity to reflect on their own positionality and to engage in learning, thinking, and writing that would support them to provide more meaningful land acknowledgments. 

The DIG members felt that we could support our colleagues by opening up a space for discussion about positionality and land acknowledgments, as a starting point for this work. It should be noted that this Interest Group is made up of Indigenous and non-Indigenous SFU Library staff members who have come together based on a common interest in engaging in decolonizing work in the library context. Our interest group has no intention of positioning ourselves as experts on land acknowledgments and especially not on the specific protocols of the local Indigenous Nations on whose unceded lands all three of SFU’s campuses sit. 

The Decolonizing the Library Interest Group was privileged to work with Dr. Alix Shield on the development and delivery of this workshop. Dr. Shield has incorporated positionality and land acknowledgment statements into her teaching at SFU, including supporting students in the process of writing their own statements. The workshop benefited significantly from work that Dr. Shield has done in this area. 

We received positive feedback from our Library colleagues, and have had requests from outside the Library to facilitate the workshop in other departments. However, we are not well positioned to be regular facilitators of this workshop. The following is a breakdown of the activities and high-level principles used. We offer these starting points to any others who may be interested in taking up this work in their departments within SFU, and beyond.

The first time we facilitated this workshop we scheduled it for 90 minutes, and hoped to incorporate both reflective work and small group discussions. We found that wasn’t long enough, since participants had questions and wanted to share their experiences with hearing both “good” and “bad” land acknowledgements. Subsequent sessions were scheduled for two hours, to allow for more conversation and offer space for people to practice delivering their statements.

Registered participants were asked to do the following pieces of prep work: 

• find out whose land you are on
• CBC: Did you live near a residential school ; a useful tool for looking up how close you were to a residential school when you, yourself, started attending elementary school, (and whether or not residential schools were still operational then). 
• UBC Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre ; provides more in-depth and accurate information about the schools themselves. 
• Watch Dr. Kim Anderson's talk on Indigenizing Curriculum between 4:40-13:30 where she talks about giving land acknowledgments.
• Use the BC government pronunciation guide to help you learn how to pronounce the names of the Nations whose lands you live on. 

We estimate that this prep work will take about 30 minutes, and let participants know that it does not have to be completed all at once. 

Workshop resources & activities 

We begin the workshop with the facilitators all offering their own positionality and land acknowledgment statements. This is done to show the participants the many different ways that these statements can be enacted. 

We then watch the land acknowledgement clip from the Baroness Von Sketch show. 

This clip is intended to open the workshop with some humour and also open the discussion of the kind of land acknowledgments we have all gotten used to hearing -- the kind that Dr. Kim Anderson suggests in her talk on Indigenizing Curriculum (watched as part of the session "pre-work") causes us to just “glaze over.” 

We discussed the “formal” land acknowledgments of our institution (SFU) and the diversity of First Nations and language families that exist in the province now known as B.C. This discussion opens us up to some follow up with the participants on their prep work and ask if anyone would like to share about what they found in their research about the lands that they live on and/or their own proximity to a former residential school. 

Before we get into prompting the participants into writing, we share some important principles to keep in mind: 

• These are living documents; they can (and should) change as you learn and/or as protocols change.
• Include only what you are comfortable sharing; this may mean you have more than one.
• If you are writing one to use professionally, think about how the statement relates to your work and what you’re aiming to do? It should be connected! 

After talking about the Baroness von Sketch clip, and “good” or “bad” statements we’ve heard, we move into talking about our positionalities. One of our DIG members shares that without making a land acknowledgement from the heart, they “ring hollow”. Protocol requires heartfelt statements, and “having the knowledge of where you are, making it personal, and situating yourself allows you to bring your heart into the land acknowledgement, making it meaningful to you and others” (Personal communication, 2020, Jenna Walsh , Indigenous Initiatives and Indigenous Studies Librarian). 

The first writing prompt that we provide is taken from This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell (illustrated by Aurelia Durand). It is intended to support participants to think about their own positionality: 

“For the next five minutes, write down everything you can think of that makes you who you are.” Ex. I am a mother, a daughter, a baker, a writer, a queer woman, a white Settler, etc. etc. 

We encourage participants to include both their personal and social identities and briefly explain the difference between these aspects of identity. Note: some identities are both personal and social, like “mother.”

Participants do not need to share this list with anyone. It is just intended to help them think about their identities beyond the ways we typically introduce ourselves in Western culture (“Hi, my name is _____ and my job is _____”). 

The next activity provides participants with a short template, adapted from Dr. Shield’s assignment, to start them off writing their own positionality statement. Keep in mind that this template is just a starting point to get participants thinking, and that everyone should proceed in this work with care. To simply “fill in the blanks” is not the goal. It’s also important to keep in mind that some people may have difficult relationships with their identities, or perhaps don’t have information about their family heritage; we must be flexible in following this guide, in a way that shows care for ourselves and for others.  

• What is your name? 
• Are you a settler/non-Indigenous person? 
• Are you Black? Are you a Person of Colour? Are you Indigenous? 
• What is your relationship to SFU (are you student/faculty/staff/etc.)? 
• What department are you located in at SFU?

In their 2012 article, Tuck and Yang discuss the fallacy of using the word ‘decolonize’ to describe all actions related to reconciliation work. This is because to truly decolonize the Canadian government would need to repatriate the land to Indigenous Nations and communities. We may not be personally able to repatriate land, but we can learn about the territory or territories we live on, and about the Nations who were here since time immemorial. 

In most parts of British Columbia, you will hear the word “unceded” in a land acknowledgement. This means that the Nation(s) never gave up or sold their rights or ties to the land. It effectively means the land is occupied by the colonizer government (British, and then Canadian), and by all of us living on it. This is an uncomfortable realization for many. In other parts of this country, there is a long history of treaties being signed between governments and Indigenous Nations or communities. There has been criticism of the treaties around broken promises, forced signatures, and a misinterpretation of intent due to language barriers. Modern treaties, those being negotiated in areas that do not already have a treaty, are often much different .

Building on our positionality statement, we recognize where we are.

• Whose territory/territories are you located on? Grew up on? 
• Why are you engaged in this work/area of study?
• What is your “compelling action” in doing this work? (i.e. how are you engaging in a meaningful relationship with the land and/or Nations?)

In an interview with CBC Unreserved , Hayden King (Anishinaabe) says that he regrets writing Ryerson University’s land acknowledgement back in 2012. His regret, he says, comes from how often these statements can become superficial. What is needed is voicing an obligation or as he says in a podcast , a compelling action. What this action is depends on the person and organization. In the context of academia, and libraries, DIG asked workshop participants to think back to Dr. Anderson’s talk (a pre-workshop viewing activity) and how she connected her land acknowledgement to her course lecture.

(these templates are shared by Dr. Shield and can be accessed on the Traditional Territories web page )

Guiding principles 

• Language matters: are you thanking the host Nations? Why? What does “uninvited guest” really mean? Debbie Reese’s blog, quoting Dr. Joely Proudfoot.
• “What are you, or your organization, doing beyond acknowledging the territory where you live, work, or hold your events?” from Native Land, Territory Acknowledgement
• Learn how to pronounce the names of the Nations and territories -- this takes practice.
• Expect to make mistakes, and feel uncomfortable. Embrace this discomfort and not knowing everything. Be gentle with yourself.
• As you identify gaps in what you know, fill them. Help others. We’re all at different places in our learning on these topics.
• You may feel guilty as you continue to learn about these topics. That’s okay. Take time to sit with it, and reach out to others when possible. However, be mindful of who you reach out to, and be careful about putting this emotional labour on an Indigenous person. If unsure, ask someone if they have the emotional capacity to help. 
• Practice giving your land acknowledgment! If the first time you speak it is in front of an audience, you will increase your discomfort! 

Note: some of these principles are adapted from the LISSA document Library and Information Studies Students' Association which provides a template for personalization, definitions, and speaker protocol. 

Land acknowledgements in the digital realm 

As our workshops took place during the global COVID-19 pandemic, we also included a brief discussion of land acknowledgments in the digital realm. If you rely on SFU web services like Canvas to conduct your work from home, you might also incorporate an acknowledgement of the Indigenous lands on which the web servers (that power these SFU platforms) are located. For example, the servers that allow most of our SFU web services to run are located on the SFU Burnaby campus, on unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) territories. 

So, to update your land acknowledgement while working remotely, you might consider acknowledging: 

• The location/Indigenous territories of the web servers that enable your work to happen (i.e. SFU Burnaby and unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) territories). 
• Your physical location and the Indigenous territories on which you are located (i.e. if you’re working from home, where are you located?)

Ex. Though we are meeting virtually for the duration of this course, our work relies on the SFU web servers (powering Canvas, etc.) that are located at SFU Burnaby on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) First Nations. I also want to acknowledge that in the current work-from-home situation, I am doing my work from Vancouver Island, where I live as an uninvited guest on the traditional territories of the Hul’qumi’num-speaking Snuneymuxw First Nation.  

(adapted from INDG 222: Introduction to Indigenous Digital Media, A. Shield) 

The Decolonizing the Library Interest Group felt that it was important to be clear about our shared approach to this work. The intention of our workshop was to invite those who may not feel comfortable giving land acknowledgments to begin to take up the work. We therefore felt that it was of the utmost importance that our approach be grounded in the parallel priorities of offering information and creating opportunities where questions could be raised and answered.

Are you planning to do a land acknowledgement? Debbie Reese. (2019, March 9). American Indians in Children’s Literature.

Bland acknowledgements , Courtney Skye & Hayden King. (2019). (Red Road podcast, season two, episode six).

Decolonization is not a metaphor . Eve Tuck & K. Wayne Yang. (2012). Decolonization: Indigeneity , education & society, 1(1).

'I regret it': Hayden King on writing Ryerson University's territorial acknowledgement . (2019, January 18). CBC Radio, Unreserved.

Land acknowledgement: Baroness von Sketch Show (2019, October 14). CBC Comedy. 

LISSA land acknowledgement, template for personalization, definitions, and speaker protocol . (2019). Library and Information Studies Student Association.

Territory acknowledgement. Native Land.

Treaty and treaty relationships. (2018). Canada’s History. 

21 things you may not know about the Indian Act : Helping Canadians make reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a reality. Robert (Bob) Joseph. (2018).  Indigenous Relations Press. (Suggested chapter: 6)

As we have always done: Indigenous freedom through radical resistance. Leanne Betasamosake Simpson. (2017).  (Suggested chapter: Introduction)

Elements of Indigenous style: A guide for writing by and about Indigenous Peoples . Gregory Younging . (2018).  (Suggested chapter: 2)

From where I stand: Rebuilding Indigenous Nations for a stronger Canada . Jody Wilson- Raybould . (2019). (Suggested chapter: 5)

Indigenous information literacy: nêhiyaw kinship enabling self-care in research. Jessie Loyer , (2017).  In K.P. Nicholson & M. Seale (Eds.), The Politics of Theory and the Practice of Critical Librarianship (pp. 145-156).  Also accessible from the Mount Royal institutional repository

Indigenous writes: A guide to First Nations, Metis & Inuit issues in Canada . Chelsea Vowel. (2016). (Suggested chapters: 10, 11, 31)

The language of cataloguing: Deconstructing and decolonizing systems of organization in libraries.  Crystal Vaughan. (2018). Dalhousie Journal of Interdisciplinary Management, 14, 1-15.

Research is ceremony: Indigenous research methods . Shawn Wilson. (2008).  (Suggested chapter: 1)

Unsettling the future by uncovering the past: Decolonizing academic libraries and librarianship . Ashley Edwards. (2019). Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research, 14(1).

For the latest events and initiatives, see News from the Indigenous Curriculum Resource Centre .

• Collections

Book a Room

Site search, top resources, all databases, land acknowledgment information.

The University of Idaho’s land acknowledgement statement was created by the U of I Office of Tribal Relations :

U of I Moscow is located on the homelands of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce), Palus (Palouse) and Schitsu’umsh (Coeur d’Alene) tribes. We extend gratitude to the indigenous people that call this place home, since time immemorial. U of I recognizes that it is our academic responsibility to build relationships with the indigenous people to ensure integrity of tribal voices.

Tribal Relations Resources

U of i special collections.

Special Collections and Archives has several collections relating to tribal relations in Idaho:

The Center for Native American Development Records

Nez Perce Agency Correspondence

Register of Indian Families at the Nez Perce Agency

Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Records

Nez Perce translation of a portion of the Bible

Quechua Language Glossaries

Watson’s Store and the Nez Perce

Native Land Digital

Native Land Digital is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that is Indigenous-led, with an Indigenous Executive Director and Board of Directors who oversee and direct the organization. They strive to create and foster conversations about the history of colonialism, Indigenous ways of knowing, and settler-Indigenous relations, through educational resources such as the map and Territory Acknowledgement Guide .

View Native Land Digital

Ask Us! We can help.

Contact us for help.

Chat with a librarian for instant help!

First Floor Information Desk

[email protected]

208-449-0841

Research Help: 208-885-6584 General Library: 208-885-6534

Arrange a research consultation with a subject librarian

Our librarians are here to help you with all your information needs.

Online Assistance

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Off Campus Access
• Research Guides
• Search the Library Website

Library Information

• Directions and Parking

Search Utah State University:

Usu land acknowledgment.

As a land-grant institution, Utah State University campuses and centers reside and operate on the territories of the eight tribes of Utah, who have been living, working, and residing on this land from time immemorial. These tribes are the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Indians, Navajo Nation, Ute Indian Tribe, Northwestern Band of Shoshone, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, San Juan Southern Paiute, Skull Valley Band of Goshute, and White Mesa Band of the Ute Mountain Ute. We acknowledge these lands carry the stories of these Nations and their struggles for survival and identity. We recognize Elders past and present as peoples who have cared for, and continue to care for, the land. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous self-governance history, experiences, and resiliency of the Native people who are still here today.

USU General Use Statement

This Land Acknowledgement Statement (above) could be given by any individual, preferably non-Native, at any presentation that includes USU faculty, staff, or students from any or several campuses.

What is the land acknowledgment statement?

A land acknowledgment is a statement that shows respect to Indigenous peoples as the original inhabitants of the lands our campuses reside on, recognizes the long history and enduring connections they have to their traditional homelands, and honors their resiliency and continued vitality.

USU Releases First Official Land Acknowledgment Statements USU Today | January 6, 2022 Land acknowledgments are formal statements that recognize that the land an institution is on originally belonged to Indigenous peoples and acknowledges there remains an existing relationship between these people and their land. Read the Article

Statements for USU Campuses

“We recognize that Utah State University in Logan resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands in the Sihivigoi (Willow Valley) of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation. The university resides on land ceded in the 1863 Treaty at Fort Bridger and other lands within our state. Today we recognize Utah’s eight federally recognized Native nations, historic Indigenous communities in Utah, Indigenous individuals and communities past and present. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”-This statement is provided with permission for use by Darren Parry, Northwestern Band of the Shoshone.

“We recognize Utah State University Bicknell resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Southern Paiute and Ute Tribes. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

Brigham City

“We recognize Utah State University Brigham City resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Cedar City resides on the traditional lands of the five bands of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Delta resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes, Southern Paiute, and Ute Tribes. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We acknowledge Utah State University Eastern resides on the traditional and ancestral homeland of the Ute Indian Tribe. We recognize the enduring relationship that exists between the three bands of Utes that comprise the Ute Indian Tribe: the Whiteriver, Uncompahgre, and Uintah. We respect the sovereign relationship with the Ute Tribe and affirm the commitment to a partnership with the Ute Indian Tribe and their community through research, education, and community outreach activities. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Junction resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the five bands of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah and Ute Tribes. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Kaysville resides on the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute, the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes, and Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history and experiences.”

Montezuma Creek

“We recognize Utah State University Blanding at Montezuma Creek resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, and the White Mesa Ute peoples. USU commits to creating and instilling a continuous relationship with tribal nations and fostering a partnership through community, family (clan/bands), research, education, and programming. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Tribal sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

Monument Valley

“We recognize Utah State University Monument Valley resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Hopi, Navajo, Southern Paiute, Pueblos, and Ute Tribes. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Orem resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes, Paiute, Shoshone, and Ute Tribes. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Park City resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone and the Ute Indian Tribe. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Tooele resides on the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Aipimbaa Newe, the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes, and the People of Deep Creek Valley, who today are the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

Uintah Basin

“We acknowledge Utah State University Uintah Basin resides on the traditional and ancestral homeland of the Ute Indian Tribe. We recognize the enduring relationship that exists between the three bands of Utes that comprise the Ute Indian Tribe: the Whiteriver, Uncompahgre, and Uintah. We respect the sovereign relationship with and confirm our commitment to a partnership with the Ute Indian Tribe and their community through research, education, and community outreach activities. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.

“We recognize Utah State University Beaver resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes and Southern Paiute Tribes. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Blanding resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, and the White Mesa Ute peoples. USU commits to creating and instilling a continuous relationship with tribal nations and fostering a partnership through community, family (clan/bands), research, education, and programming. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Tribal Sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

Castle Dale

“We acknowledge Utah State University Castle Dale resides on the traditional and ancestral homeland of the Ute Indian Tribe. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize that the Utah State University Durango, Colorado Center occupies the traditional lands of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Weeminuche Band of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Ephraim resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Southern Paiute and Ute Tribes. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Heber City resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Paiute, Shoshone, and Ute Indian Tribes. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Kanab resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, the Pueblo of Zuni (A:shiwi), the Hopi Tribe, and Ute Tribe. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We acknowledge that the Utah State University Moab resides on the American Indian Crossing of the Colorado River, the traditional homeland of the descendants of the Pueblo of Zuni (A:shiwi); the Hopi Tribe; the Southern Ute Indian Tribe; the Ute Indian Tribe; the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah; and the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians who have been stewards of the rivers and mountains, cliffs and towers, arches, and canyons from time immemorial. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Monticello resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, and the White Mesa Ute peoples. USU commits to creating and instilling a continuous relationship with tribal nations and fostering a partnership through community, family (clan/bands), research, education, and programming. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Tribal sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Nephi resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Paiute, Shoshone, and Ute Tribes. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Panguitch resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the five bands of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah and the Ute Indian Tribe. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

Salt Lake City

“We recognize Utah State University Salt Lake City resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Bannock, the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes, Paiute, Shoshone, and Ute Tribes. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Tremonton resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

“We recognize Utah State University Wendover resides on the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Aipimbaa Newe, the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes, and the People of Deep Creek Valley, who today are the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute. In offering this land acknowledgment, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experiences.”

Virtual Tour

Experience University of Idaho with a virtual tour. Explore now

• Discover a Career
• Find a Major
• Experience U of I Life

More Resources

• Admitted Students
• International Students

Take Action

• Find Financial Aid
• View Deadlines
• Find Your Rep

Helping to ensure U of I is a safe and engaging place for students to learn and be successful. Read about Title IX.

Get Involved

• Clubs & Volunteer Opportunities
• Recreation and Wellbeing
• Student Government
• Student Sustainability Cooperative
• Academic Assistance
• Safety & Security
• Career Services
• Health & Wellness Services
• Register for Classes
• Dates & Deadlines
• Financial Aid
• Sustainable Solutions
• U of I Library

• Upcoming Events

Review the events calendar.

Stay Connected

• Vandal Family Newsletter
• Here We Have Idaho Magazine
• Living on Campus
• Campus Safety
• About Moscow

The largest Vandal Family reunion of the year. Check dates.

Benefits and Services

• Vandal Voyagers Program
• Vandal License Plate
• Submit Class Notes
• Make a Gift
• View Events
• Alumni Chapters
• University Magazine
• Alumni Newsletter

U of I's web-based retention and advising tool provides an efficient way to guide and support students on their road to graduation. Login to VandalStar.

Common Tools

• Administrative Procedures Manual (APM)
• Class Schedule
• OIT Tech Support
• Academic Dates & Deadlines
• U of I Retirees Association
• Faculty Senate
• Staff Council

Office of Tribal Relations

Office of Tribal Relations Administration Building Room 201 Moscow, ID 83844-3157

University of Idaho Office of Tribal Relations 875 Perimeter Drive MS 3157 Moscow, ID 83844-3157

Phone: 208-885-2468

Fax: 208-885-6558

Email: [email protected]

Web: Office of Tribal Relations

Biennial Tribal Summit

The Tribal Summit is a biennial collaboration between the U of I President and representatives from the 11 MOU tribes.

Native American Alumni

Professionals working in Tribal communities, strengthening Tribal Initiatives.

UI Native American Events and News

Keep apprised of various news items and upcoming events.

The office has been established to provide Leadership, guidance and support for Native American initiatives, organizations and programs that align with the Tribal Relations mission and U of I strategic plan.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Tribal Relations Office is to foster respectful and mutually productive relationships between Northwest Tribes, the University, the community and key stakeholders through culturally appropriate research, outreach and programming. We work to develop, recognize, promote and facilitate protocols of reciprocity as they relate to Tribal sovereignty and Native American education.

Core Values

• Relationship: Cultivate relationships to foster an environment that is inclusive of and responsive to Tribal Traditional Knowledge and worldviews.
• Respect: Work to create respectful relationships to develop trust and understanding that allows for deeper sharing to benefit both the Tribal Community and University.
• Reciprocity: Strive to foster an environment that values and understands the interconnectedness of all things around us.
• Responsibility: Work strategically to provide culturally responsive Education, Research and Service to surrounding Native American communities.
• College Assistance Migrant Program
• Equity and Diversity Unit
• Office of Multicultural Affairs
• Native American Student Center

Land Acknowledgement Statement – Moscow Campus: U of I Moscow is located on the homelands of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce), Palus (Palouse) and Schitsu’umsh (Coeur d’Alene) tribes. We extend gratitude to the indigenous people that call this place home, since time immemorial. U of I recognizes that it is our academic responsibility to build relationships with the indigenous people to ensure integrity of tribal voices.

'A Dangerous Assignment:' Meet a journalist covering corruption in Venezuela

Jeremy Siegel: This is GBH's Morning Edition. In 2016, Venezuela was in economic turmoil. President Nicolás Maduro had recently taken office after the death of Hugo Chávez, and amid a mounting crisis, his government announced a new initiative billed as providing high-quality and essential food to people at risk of starvation. But a new documentary produced by Frontline sheds light on a shadowy corruption scandal spanning from Venezuela to the United States, revealing that this program in Venezuela was not at all what the government claimed it would be, and how the reporters covering it became targets of Maduro. Joining me now is journalist Roberto Deniz of the Venezuelan independent news site Armando.Info. He's the subject of the new film called "A Dangerous Assignment: Uncovering Corruption in Maduro's Venezuela." Roberto, good morning. Thanks for joining us.

Roberto Deniz: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.

Siegel: So take me back to 2016.

Deniz: Venezuela was leaving a tremendous economic and social crisis, and the government at that moment decided to create a kind of social program to help poor people in Venezuela and to provide food for people in Venezuela. But the problem that we have uncovered with our investigation that now is in our documentary is that this was not a social aid from the Venezuelan government to the people. The real thing behind all of this was a business, a business belonging to a Colombian entrepreneur very close to Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan president. And not only that, also the main problem that was behind the social program was that they decided to import, to buy food in different countries, especially in Mexico, and send those products to Venezuela. But it was very poor quality food for the poor people in Venezuela.

Siegel: This program was billed as providing high-quality food, but it was not high-quality food; and it was benefiting people living in other countries. Tell me more about what you learned in your reporting and your investigation.

Deniz: We saw that the Venezuelan government decided to send money to different entrepreneurs very close to the Venezuelan government. But these entrepreneurs, like Alex Saab, that maybe was the main entrepreneur behind the program, they bought food that was not the quality that they said. Even worse: We demonstrate that in the case of the powdered milk that we were selling in these boxes to the poor people in Venezuela. We saw that it was a very, very bad quality product because the product was very high in carbohydrates, very high in salt, but very low in calcium and very low in protein.

Siegel: This film, "A Dangerous Assignment," doesn't just illustrate your reporting surrounding the scandal, but also tracks the story of how you and your colleagues were attacked by Maduro's government as a result of your reporting. What was your experience in the aftermath of your investigation?

Deniz: I started to investigate this case and all of the story in 2016, and just a year after it, at the end of 2017, I was sued this Colombian guy, beef entrepreneur, that was benefiting off this social program of Nicolas Maduro. And in 2018, I had to flee Venezuela, I had to get out of Venezuela. And I continued the investigation, living abroad, living in Bogotá, in Colombia. And right now I can't go back to Venezuela because of this investigation, this and other investigations related to our job in Armando.info. And so as you said, this is the cost, this is the risk that we have to face when we decide to do this kind of job in a country like Venezuela right now.

Siegel: Do you have any confidence that things will change in your country and you'll ever be able to go back home?

Deniz: I hope that Venezuela can change, and Venezuela maybe, you know, can fix all the problem that they have. If that happens, I hope to come back in Venezuela. But right now, I'm not sure that that is going to happen.

Siegel: Roberto Deniz is a reporter for the Venezuelan independent news site Armando.Info. He's featured in the new FRONTLINE documentary, "A Dangerous Assignment," which airs tonight on GBH. This is GBH News.

In 2016, Venezuela was in economic turmoil.

President Nicolás Maduro had recently taken office after the death of Hugo Chávez, and amid a mounting crisis, his government announced a new initiative billed as providing high-quality and essential food to people at risk of starvation.

A new documentary produced by FRONTLINE “A Dangerous Assignment: Uncovering Corruption in Maduro's Venezuela,” sheds light on a shadowy corruption scandal spanning from Venezuela to the United States, revealing that this program in Venezuela was not at all what the government claimed it would be, and how the reporters covering it became targets of Maduro.

“Venezuela was leaving a tremendous economic and social crisis, and the government at that moment decided to create a kind of social program to help poor people in Venezuela and to provide food for people in Venezuela,” journalist Roberto Deniz of the Venezuelan independent news site Armando.Info, told GBH’s Morning Edition co-host Jeremy Siegel. “But the problem that we have uncovered with our investigation that now is in our documentary is that this was not a social aid from the Venezuelan government to the people.”

The program, Deniz said, was a way to funnel business to entrepreneurs close to the president. And the food was often of poor quality and low nutritional value, he said.

“We saw that the Venezuelan government decided to send money to different entrepreneurs very close to the Venezuelan government,” he said, like entrepreneurs Alex Saab. “Even worse: We demonstrate that in the case of the powdered milk that we were selling in these boxes to the poor people in Venezuela. We saw that it was a very, very bad quality product because the product was very high in carbohydrates, very high in salt, but very low in calcium and very low in protein.”

Deniz himself had to face investigations and ultimately fled Venezuela because of backlash from the powerful people he reported on, he said.

“In 2018, I had to flee Venezuela,” he said. “And I continued the investigation, living abroad, living in Bogota, in Colombia. … And so as you said, this is the cost, this is the risk that we have to face when we decide to do this kind of job in a country like Venezuela right now.”

He hopes to one day be able to return.

“I hope that Venezuela can change,” he said. “If that happens, I hope to come back in Venezuela. But right now, I'm not sure that that is going to happen.”

Subscribe to The Wake Up

Sign up for the latest from GBH News delivered to your inbox three times a week.

• All Newsletters
• Privacy Policy

Explore Topics:

More international news.

Brittney Griner reflects on 'Coming Home' after nearly 300 days in a Russian prison

Israeli forces seize the Gaza side of Rafah, as Hamas truce talks resume in Egypt

NASA's chief is worried about China getting back to the moon first. Here's why

China makes cheap electric vehicles. Why can't American shoppers buy them?

Canvas Updates for Summer 2024

Featuring “New Quizzes” and “Discussions Redesign”

Posted in: Uncategorized

Updates for May 8, 2024

• New Quizzes As you may have heard, a new quizzing engine (New Quizzes) is coming and will become the native quizzing engine within our Canvas LMS instance. To prepare for this transition, New Quizzes will be enabled in all Canvas courses on May 8. After May 8, when building a quiz from scratch, you will have the option to choose between a Classic Quiz (our current quiz engine) or a New Quiz.
• Gradebook: “Message Students Who” Enhancements In the Gradebook, the “Message Students Who” feature has been enhanced to allow instructors to message students who have submitted an assignment. Options include messaging all students who have submitted on time, students with graded on-time assignments, and students with ungraded on time assignments. For “students who have not submitted”, there is now a checkbox allowing instructors to exclude excused students from the message.

Updates for July 20, 2024

• Canvas Discussions Redesign Instructure has announced the Discussions/Announcements Redesign which will be turned on in all Canvas courses on July 20, 2024. The redesigned discussions and announcements has all of the same functionality of classic discussions and announcements, with a new look and a few additional features. The redesign aims to create a more engaging, user-friendly, and efficient interface for all users.
• New Analytics Canvas New Analytics is a powerful tool that allows instructors to view grade analytics, participation metrics, file views, and more across a variety of course contexts. Although New Analytics has been available in Canvas as a feature option, Instructure will replace the current analytics feature with New Analytics on July 20, 2024.

Please visit Instructure’s Canvas Releases page for comprehensive release notes.

• Campus Life
• Carsey School of Public Policy
• College of Engineering & Physical Sciences
• College of Health & Human Services
• College of Liberal Arts
• College of Life Sciences & Agriculture
• Cooperative Extension
• Graduate School
• Peter T. Paul College of Business & Economics
• School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering
• Thompson School of Applied Science
• UNH Manchester
• UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law
• Faculty/Staff

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on YouTube

Follow us on Instagram

Find us on LinkIn

UNH Today RSS feeds

UNH Today is produced for the UNH community and for friends of UNH. The stories are written by the staff of UNH Marketing. Email us: [email protected] .

Manage Your Subscription     Contact Us

UNH Today  •  UNH Main Directory: 603-862-1234 Copyright © 2024  •  TTY Users: 7-1-1 or 800-735-2964 (Relay NH) USNH Privacy Policies  •  USNH Terms of Use  •  ADA Acknowledgement

The UNH Model UN team spent a week in New York City in March, earning three awards at the annual conference.

Twenty UNH students had the opportunity to rub elbows with international ambassadors and gain hands-on practice in political diplomacy during a trip to New York City for the National Model UN Conference this spring.

The UNH contingent made the trek to New York from March 24 to 28, participating with almost 5,000 students from around the world. UNH represented the Russian Federation in the conference’s political simulation, addressing contemporary issues such as conflict and food security, the role of science and technology in international security and the promotion of sustainable tourism.

Two UNH students – Dylan Collins and Patrick Marcoux – took home “Outstanding Delegate” awards for their contributions during the conference, and the entire team – which features representatives from several UNH colleges – was selected as a “Distinguished Delegation.”

The conference exposes students to public speaking, technical writing, diplomacy, conflict resolution and engagement with students from close to 100 other countries and cultures.  

“This was more than just a competition and more than just awareness about the UN or awareness about Russia. The students learn so many things – they learn professional writing, they have to work on consensus building, professionalism, how to push your position in a way that is convincing and also accommodating of other perspectives,” says Alynna Lyon, professor of political science and faculty advisor to the UNH Model UN team. “I love that they get to experience this active, highly engaged learning, in terms of substance but also because of the skill sets they learn that are available to them for the rest of their lives.”

UNH students have been attending the Model UN conference for about 20 years. Each year the group receives an assigned country and uses the time leading up to the conference to prepare for the simulation, which focuses on the same committees and topics that the actual UN is working on.

This year UNH received Russia as an assigned country, which was a particularly interesting and challenging task, Lyon says. Students do extensive research, poring over government documents and examining the geostrategic “lay of the land,” before writing a position paper ahead of the conference.

“These are real-world situations; they aren’t made up. It’s essential for there to be authentic representation,” Lyon says. “It was a real privilege and honor to represent a country with so much gravitas and that plays the pivotal role Russia plays right now. It was a real acknowledgement of the credibility the UNH team has earned.”

The assignment provided students with a rare and memorable opportunity to interact with international diplomats. They got to spend part of a day with a delegation from the Russian embassy – a day that provided an up-close look at the sensitive and timely nature of the job, as the appointment was bumped back at the last minute due to the Russian delegation needing time to work on an issue related to the conflict in Gaza.

Once the meeting commenced, though, the UNH students spent extensive time with the delegation and got to ask questions related to their work at the Model UN conference, querying the Russian group on things like its position on cyberwarfare, for instance.

Following the meeting, the students spent time working in their assigned committees, writing resolutions and trying to get them passed. “They work really hard on diplomatic solutions to these real global conflicts,” Lyon says.

At the closing ceremony, the UNH team watched from the seats the Russian federation sits in, listening to speeches from a variety of global diplomats.

The New York visit capped a busy year for the Model UN group that included a trip for a smaller group of eight students to Germany last November as part of the organization’s annual international conference. There the UNH team represented South Africa and had the opportunity to visit a concentration camp and eat breakfast on a daily basis with a Holocaust survivor who was staying in the same hotel as the team members.

For Lyon, the conferences provide a “transformative” educational opportunity for the students, who learn critical skills, develop important professional traits and get to explore places – and cultures – they may not have yet been exposed to.

The lasting impact, she says, is significant.

“One of the kind of immeasurable things, I think, is that there is a lot of hope and optimism and agency that comes from sitting down with 300 people from around the world and working on critical issues facing society,” Lyon says. “Students really feel empowered but in a productive and institutional format.”

Written By:

Related articles.

Celebrating the Class of 2022

Fulbright Grantees Selected

Raising the Bar

Exclusive: French, Dutch seek EU sanctions on financial institutions helping Russia military

• Medium Text

Sign up here.

Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; Editing by David Gregorio

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

Thomson Reuters

Jan is the Deputy Bureau Chief for France and Benelux, running the Reuters office in Brussels. He has been covering European Union policy, focusing on economics, since 2005 after a five year assignment in Stockholm where he covered tech and telecoms stocks, the central bank and general news. Jan joined Reuters in 1993 in Warsaw from the main Polish TV news programme "Wiadomosci", where he was a reporter and anchor for the morning news edition. Jan won the Reuters Journalist of the Year award in 2007 in the Scoop of the Year category, a second time in 2010 for his coverage of the euro zone sovereign debt crisis and for the third time in 2011, this time as part of the Brussels team, for the Story of the Year. A Polish national, Jan graduated from Warsaw University with a Master’s in English literature. He is a keen sailor, photographer and bushcraft enthusiast.

World Chevron

Four deaths confirmed from severe storm that ravaged Houston

A severe storm packing hurricane-force winds pummeled Houston on Thursday, killing at least four people, blowing windows out of high-rise buildings and leaving some 800,000 homes without power as much of the city was plunged into darkness, the mayor said.

This is a site about the books and other writing by James Rodgers, author of Assignment Moscow: Reporting on Russia From Lenin to Putin ( new edition 2023 ; first published July 2020); Headlines from the Holy Land (2015 and 2017); No Road Home: Fighting for Land and Faith in Gaza (2013); Reporting Conflict (2012). My work looks at how stories of international affairs, especially armed conflict, are told to the world.

I am an author and journalist. During two decades of covering international news, I reported on the end of the Soviet Union; the wars in Chechnya; the coming to power of Vladimir Putin; 9/11; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; the 2003 war in Iraq; Russia’s war with Georgia in 2008. I completed correspondent postings for the BBC in Moscow, Brussels, and Gaza. I now teach in the Journalism Department at City, University of London.

Now Out: Assignment Moscow ‘Beautifully written, fascinating throughout’

MY NEW BOOK , Assignment Moscow: Reporting on Russia from Lenin to Putin has now been published in the U.S. and the U.K.

You can order copies, and read more about the book, here for the U.K, edition ( here for the U.S. edition).

These are the reviews so far

“Reporting from Russia has never been easy; Rodgers vividly captures the changing fortunes of Moscow correspondents over the past hundred years, as they penetrated the mysteries of life in Russia and brought them to our newspapers and screens. Some were duped, some were fellow-travellers or spies; most battled against censors and blank-faced politicians; all have helped to shape our understanding of the world’s biggest country.” –  Angus Roxburgh, former Moscow correspondent for the BBC, Sunday Times and Economist

“Writing about journalism in Russia since the revolution, James Rodgers rightly emphasises that to understand Russia you have to talk to people of all kinds. But he argues that even correspondents who knew the language and the history found it hard to report dispassionately because of official obstruction and their own emotional involvement.” –  Rodric Braithwaite

“A highly original, engrossing and accessible book, Assignment Moscow stands out among journalistic accounts of Russia for its subtlety, humility and historic scope. It tells the story of British and American journalists who aimed to throw light on Russia from Lenin to Putin, and in the process illuminated the West itself.” –  Arkady Ostrovsky, Author of The Invention of Russia: The Rise of Putin and the age of Fake News, Winner of the 2016 Orwell Prize

“It is hard to believe that in the torrent of books published on Russia each year, that one could come along as original and valuable as Assignment Moscow. One comes to appreciate the service of our reporting men and women in Moscow. For all their fallibilities, without their dedication, we wouldn’t have half the understanding of Russia that we have today, imperfect as it will always be. We therefore owe them – and especially Rodgers as journalist, teacher, analyst and cataloguer – a huge debt.” –  James Nixey, Chatham House

I was also delighted to get this endorsement on Twitter from Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at the University of Oxford, and author of The Silk Roads and The New Silk Roads .

Beautifully written, fascinating throughout – and very timely. Happy publication day ⁦ @jmacrodgers ⁩ ! #AssignmentMoscow pic.twitter.com/WY4xlYL6ZR — Peter Frankopan (@peterfrankopan) July 23, 2020

I will be talking about the book at a number of events planned for September onwards. I will share details here when they are available.

I am very happy to talk at book festivals, to universities, think tanks, conferences etc. Please get in touch if you are interested–contact details below, or via the publisher, I.B. Tauris, part of Bloomsbury .

Share this: