What is a land acknowledgment?
A land acknowledgment is a formal statement that recognizes and respects the Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional lands. This is an act of conciliation that makes a statement recognizing the traditional land of the Indigenous people who have called and still call the land home before and after the arrival of settlers. A land acknowledgment recognizes Indigenous People’s continued presence and relationship to their ancestral lands since time immemorial.
Why do we recognize the land?
To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose homelands we reside on and a recognition of the original People who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. Creating a land acknowledgment should be motivated by genuine respect and support for Indigenous Peoples. Land acknowledgments create opportunities to elevate Indigenous voices, perspectives, and expertise in these shared spaces. It is important to understand the longstanding history that has brought us to reside on the land and to seek to understand our place within that history. Land acknowledgments 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.
District Commitment
Our land acknowledgment is not a performative act. It is a commitment to future work to dismantle the harmful legacies of colonialism.
The Ross Valley School District is committed to:
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ensuring safety and inclusion for our Indigenous students and their families
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developing students’ commitment to environmental stewardship
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Developing an awareness of Indigenous Peoples past, present, and future
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breaking cycles of misinformation and harmful narratives
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acknowledging contemporary Native culture
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providing space for hope and healing
DEFINITIONS
Indigenous - having always lived in a place; first People
Stewards/Stewardship - taking care of and taking responsibility for the land you live on and recognizing the close relationship between people and our environment
Unceded - land that was never given or legally sold
Conciliation - an act to build relationships between people through understanding each other better
Time Immemorial - a way of speaking about a point of time in the past that was so long ago that people have no knowledge or memory of it
Colonialism - when people from one country settle in another country for the purpose of controlling its people and natural resources
Hope and Healing - Hope and healing are critical aspects of our work. Learning about our past can be hard and it is important to create space for feelings that help us heal. Hope brings us into the present and future and acknowledges the power of our Indigenous Peoples who continue to live and work in our community.
RESOURCES
Educational Resources and Institutions
Local Coast Miwok
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Local Organizations for Community Participation
Indigenous-led Organizations
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