“The Public Theater stands in honor of the first inhabitants and our ancestors. We acknowledge the land on which The Public and its theaters stand—the original homeland of the Lenape people– and the painful history of genocide and forced removal from this territory. We honor the generations of stewards, and we pay our respects to the many diverse Indigenous peoples still connected to this land.”

This is actually on the website of The Public Theater in New York City. It mirrored the words I heard each night I performed at The Paper Mill Playhouse last summer while performing in the pit of a musical at that theater. A message about the indigenous people who lived on the land we were on was broadcast to the audience and after hearing what was said, a few pit members looked at each other and wondered what it meant. We didn’t overthink it the first few times we heard it but after a while, some of us found it patronizing.

After some research, I learned about ‘land acknowledgments,’ These are statements that supposedly recognize and honor the ‘Indigenous peoples’ who have lived on the land where an event or gathering is taking place. They typically include an acknowledgment of the Indigenous peoples who have a historical and ongoing relationship with the land, as well as a recognition of the impact of colonization on Native American communities. These speeches may be given in various settings, including public events, government or corporate meetings, schools, and other spaces.

Land acknowledgments are often seen as a way to recognize and honor Native Americans and are spoken or written to raise awareness about the history of colonization and the ongoing impacts of this history on the communities of people who formerly inhabited the land. Many seem to view land acknowledgments as a way to foster respect and understanding between Native Americans and everyone else. They view it as a way to build relationships based on mutual respect.

While land acknowledgments may recognize the history of colonization and the Native Americans who once lived on the land before the European takeover, they do not necessarily address ongoing issues related to Native American land rights and sovereignty. People who live in Native American territories today face a range of challenges and problems, many of which are a result of the ongoing impacts of colonization and discrimination. These statements are often a counterfeit version of respect and are displays of performative activism.

 

Read more HERE: https://claytoncraddock.substack.com/p/are-land-acknowledgments-necessary