What is a land acknowledgement and why is it important?
A Land Acknowledgment is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. It is important to recognize this history and the ongoing impacts of settler colonialism in order to appreciate and honor Indigenous Peoples, as well as dismantle the oppressive systems that continue to cause impact and harm.
Office of Student Conflict Resolution Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that The University of Michigan, named for Michigami, the world’s largest freshwater system and located in the Huron River watershed, was formed and has grown through connections with the land stewarded by Niswi Ishkodewan Anishinaabeg: The Three Fires People who are the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Boodewadomi along with their neighbors the Seneca, Delaware, Shawnee, and Wyandot nations. Today we benefit from access to land and resources originally acquired through the Treaty at the Foot of the Rapids, a coercive and unfulfilled treaty which promised reciprocity, mutual respect, and access to education.
We acknowledge that the historical origins and present location of the University of Michigan were made possible by indigenous people’s cession of lands under coercive treaties common in the colonization and expansion of the United States. In particular we note:
- The University’s three campuses are located on lands of the Anishinaabeg and Wyandot, which were ceded under Article 1 of the Treaty of Detroit in 1807.
- The University’s endowment was originally funded in significant measure by sale of land granted under Article 16 of the 1817 Treaty of the Foot of the Rapids, also known as the Treaty of Ft. Meigs. This grant, for “the college at Detroit,” was made by Anishinaabeg — including Odawa, Ojibwe, and Bodewadami — so that their children could be educated.
Furthermore, we also acknowledge that this country would not exist if it wasn't for the free, enslaved labor of Black people. We honor the legacy of the African diaspora and Black life, knowledge and skills stolen due to violence and white supremacy. Black lives matter.
The Office of Student Conflict Resolution (OSCR) seeks to embody, apply, and ground all of our work in a Restorative Justice framework and through processes that promote an increasingly just community. Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices are rooted in international Indigenous peacemaking practices. Restorative justice requires illuminating and dismantling settler colonialism and racism in its many forms. This can start by learning the history of the land you live and work on, the local Indigenous people’s call to action, self-reflection on your relation to settler colonialism and racism, and reviewing the resources below.
These lands continue to be the homeland of many indigenous people, and through these words of acknowledgment, we seek to reaffirm and respect their contemporary and ancestral ties to the land and to recognize their contributions to the University.
Resources for further learning:
Read
- Colorizing Restorative Justice: Voicing Our Realities Editor: Edward C Valandra, Waŋbli Wapȟáha Hokšíla – Foreword by Justice Robert G. Yazzie
- 1817 Treaty of the Foot of the Rapids
- Truth & Reconciliation Commission
- National Indian Law Library
- Restorative Justice Practices of Native American, First Nation and Other Indigenous People of North America: Part Two
- Support the Record-Eagle (Traverse City Indigenous based e-news source)
- Native Land Digital (find which Indigenous land you reside on)
Listen
- Michigan Radio Interview: For the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, this has always been home
- Listen to Indigenous People - a collection of Native Podcasts
Watch