Land Acknowledgment Statement

Minnesota State acknowledges the land and the tribal nations upon whose land this work is being accomplished. We acknowledge that we are on Dakota land. We recognize the Native Nations of this region who have called this place home over thousands of years including the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe), Lakota, Nakota, Ho-Chunk, and Cheyenne. We acknowledge the ongoing colonialism and the legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that foreground the formation of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and subsequently this report. We commit to advancing critical efforts to understand and address these legacies, including the larger conversation of reparations, repatriation, and redress urgently needed for the scope of ethical acknowledgment to begin in earnest.

This statement was developed by the Minnesota State Equity 2030 Chancellor’s Fellows and is reproduced here with their permission.

Practicing Land Acknowledgments

As a culturally responsive campus, practicing land acknowledgments is an ongoing and continual project. In addition to acknowledging the land when the community gathers for public events and convenings, we should also strive to practice land acknowledgment in coursework syllabi, and in collaborative workspaces. Ideally, learning community leaders can model this practice by reading this statement and sharing resources.

Leaders should:

• Share core land acknowledgement statements at community convenings, within event materials, and learning community standards.
• Be mindful of tone and placement in event proceedings. Read statement at the beginning of the event/gathering and in its entirety.
• Avoid asking Indigenous and Native American community members to perform the labor of land acknowledgment.
• Build real, reciprocal relationships with Indigenous people and communities.
• Implement action steps that reflect the theme and focus of your event or gathering. Be creative about ways to consistently acknowledge and celebrate indigeneity in your course or program. For example, instructors could include indigenous art and scholarship from their fields in course materials and provide avenues for service and reparations to Indigenous communities.

Adapted with permission from Metro State University who created this guidance in 2021 in collaboration with Faculty, Staff and Students.