Personal Land Acknowledgement

In Atlanta, I live on the ancestral homelands of the Mvskoke (Muscogee) people. At the University of Georgia, I work on the ancestral homelands of the Mvskoke and Cherokee peoples. These communities were forcefully driven from Georgia, including by acts of aggression from our university. We must acknowledge this part of our history as an institution of learning.

The majority of Native lands in North America were taken by means of coercion, violence and forced displacement. It is important to acknowledge that the lives we lead, and the work we do, all take place on Indigenous lands. Centuries of colonization, including the murder of tribal leaders and families, removal of Native children, placement of Native children in off-reservation boarding schools, and the undue influence of government appointed guardians or conservators, have all had long-lasting impacts on the political power of sovereign tribal nations.

Despite these concerted efforts at ethnic cleansing, Native people still exist, both on and off the reservation. Native people are still here, and deserve our acknowledgement and respect. The next step is to take action in support of the Native sovereignty movement. See resources on how to take action here.