Land acknowledgment

A land acknowledgment is a traditional custom in many Native communities and nations to show respect to the people of the land since time immemorial.

The importance of land acknowledgments for non-indigenous individuals and communities relies on the recognition of their relationship to the original inhabitants of a location and to the land. Furthermore, it is a way to show respect and gratitude to the traditional stewards of a specific location, while recognizing that colonialism is still an ongoing process. 

Best practices in land acknowledgment

In order to be transformative, it is important to move away from “performative” acts, as Megan Red-Shirt Shaw says in her essay “Beyond the Land Acknowledgment: College "LAND BACK" or Free Tuition for Native Students,” into a mindful way to show awareness, create accountability, and actively disrupt colonial structures. 

The best way to create an appropriate land acknowledgment is to consult and collaborate with local Tribal leaders, which Stanford University has done through the Native American Cultural Center, the university archaeologist's office, and the university president's office. The Stanford Native American Cultural Center describes the history of the land where the main campus was built as well as information about the current presences of different tribal members on campus. 

We invite the our community to actively participate in these acts of respect, by getting to know better the history and present context of the Indigenous communities of the land where you live, study, and work.

Reflect on the kind of engagement you have with these groups and recognize your positionality in relation to that land. This is important when extending and personalizing a given acknowledgment statement.

Stanford University land acknowledgment

This acknowledgment may be written or may be spoken at the beginning of an event or program, showing a specific commitment to restorative justice (please read the recommended articles). If spoken, the order should be: (1) Welcome and words about the event, (2) Land Acknowledgment and specific relations to individual or collective actions, (3) Move into the scheduled program.