Land Acknowledgement
We at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's Cofrin Center for Biodiversity acknowledge the First Nations people who are the original inhabitants of the region. The Ho-Chunk (Hoocąk) Nation and the Menominee (Kāēyās maceqtawak) Nation are the original First People of Wisconsin and both Nations have ancient historical and spiritual connections to the land that our institution now resides upon.
We at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's Cofrin Center for Biodiversity acknowledge the First Nations people who are the original inhabitants of the region. The Ho-Chunk (Hoocąk) Nation and the Menominee (Kāēyās maceqtawak) Nation are the original First People of Wisconsin and both Nations have ancient historical and spiritual connections to the land that our institution now resides upon.
Today, Wisconsin is home to 12 First Nations communities including the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin (Onʌyoteˀa·ká), Forest County Potawatomi (Bodwéwadmi), Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) Nation communities, Stockbridge (Moheconnew)-Munsee (Lunaapeew) Band of the Mohicans, and the Brothertown Indian Nation.
We acknowledge the First Nations Peoples of Wisconsin.
What Are Land Acknowledgements and Why Are They Important?
Typically read at public events, a Land Acknowledgement is a formal declaration that recognizes and respects that First Nations people were the original inhabitants on the land in which we reside today. It is only a first step, however, towards challenging a long history of erasure of Indigenous people. Land Acknowledgements and First Nations people exist in the present tense, and the best way to work towards reversing this erasure is by building relationships with Indigenous people, educating yourself, and supporting Indigenous communities.
The Cofrin Center for Biodiversity is committed to illuminating Indigenous voices and is very grateful to work on projects involving Indigenous communities: incorporating cultural aspects into our natural areas (e.g., Wequiock Creek restoration), wildlife monitoring with the Oneida Nation and Forest County Potawatomi, 2022 Oneida youth summer camp, and supporting Indigenous UW-Green Bay students through WiscAMP funding. Cofrin Center for Biodiversity staff also attend trainings and learning opportunities when possible, such as UW-Green Bay's First Nations Department's "Elder Hours," to educate themselves on Indigenous communities.
Learn More about Northeastern Wisconsin’s First Nations People
- UW-Green Bay on Land Acknowledgment Statements
- UW-Green Bay's First Nations Studies
- UW-Green Bay's Fusion Group
- A Guide on Going Beyond Land Acknowledgments
- Wisconsin Indian Resource Project
- Forest County Potawatomi
- Ho-Chunk Nation
- Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
- Oneida Nation of Wisconsin
- Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
- Native American Fish and Wildlife Society
- Wisconsin First Nations: American Indian Studies in Wisconsin
- Native Land Map