Land Acknowledgement - Massachusetts

A Land Acknowledgment is a formal statement that recognizes the unique and enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories.

Acknowledgment by itself is a small gesture. It becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationships and informed action. This beginning, however, can increase public consciousness of Native sovereignty and cultural rights, a step toward equitable relationship and reconciliation. Join us in adopting, calling for, and spreading this practice.

Naming is an exercise in power. Who gets the right to name or be named? Whose stories are honored in a name? Whose are erased? Acknowledgment of traditional land is a public statement of the name of the traditional Native inhabitants of a place. It honors their historic relationship with the land.

A few disclaimers about land acknowledgement:

It’s simple. It's also not so simple. In some cases the traditional inhabitants of a place may be clear. In other cases whom to recognize is much less so. Do your research. While the act of naming traditional inhabitants may not take much time, moving into right relationship requires preparation.

There is no one way of doing this. There are currently 567 federally recognized tribal nations, each with its own history and protocols for welcome and acknowledgment. There are also state-recognized tribes and peoples, including Native Hawaiians who reside on six islands. (The very process of federal and state recognition is also rooted in problematic colonialism.)

Acknowledgment is made meaningful through specific context and relationship. Whenever possible, the best entry point into the practice of acknowledgment is through relationship and dialogue with Native communities in the area.

Acknowledgment is but a first step. It does not stand in for relationship and action, but can begin to point toward deeper possibilities for decolonizing relationships with people and place.

Recognizing all of the above, we would like to acknowledge the land upon which we reside:

"We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the ancestral and seized territory of the Massa-adchu-es-et, Nipmuc, and Wompanoag Peoples."


haggadah Section: Introduction
Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_CAyH4WUfQXTXo3MjZHRC00ajg/view