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UW-Green Bay Land Acknowledgement

UWGB Land Acknowledgement

We at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay acknowledge the First Nations people who are the original inhabitants of the region. The Ho-Chunk Nation and the Menominee 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, Forest County Potawatomi, Ojibwe Nation communities, Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians, and the Brothertown Indian Nation.

We acknowledge the First Nations Peoples of Wisconsin.

Video still of student speaking in front of a campus building

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UW-Green Bay Land Acknowledgement

Intent & Purpose

The UW-Green Bay Land Acknowledgement was developed in 2018, following a well-established pattern nationwide, to acknowledge past, present, and future relationships with Indigenous communities across the state.

We occupy a storied place. Our Indigenous relatives left behind their stories infused in this land. Our place on the UW-Green Bay campus is a place of constant, intentional, and engaged learning. As we create new knowledge on this land, it is also our responsibility to tell the stories of those that came before us and celebrate contemporary Indigenous communities and individuals that exist on our campus today. The Land Acknowledgment is the first step.

Why are Indigenous Land Acknowledgements Important?

Indigenous Land Acknowledgement shows recognition and respect for the Indigenous peoples on whose land the institutions reside (CAUT, 2017). This acknowledgement statement can be done by anyone within the university setting, staff, faculty and students. Land Acknowledgements do not exist in a past tense, or within a historical context, colonialism is an ongoing process, with Indigenous lands still occupied due to broken treaties and deceptive practices by individuals, State and federal governments (USDAC, n.d.). Acknowledgements demonstrate respect for contemporary Indigenous Peoples by challenging narratives and policies of erasure and extinction. Whenever possible, the best practice of acknowledgement is through dialogue and relationships with Indigenous communities in the area (USDAC, n.d.)

UW-Green Bay Land Acknowledgment User Guide

How to Use the Land Acknowledgement

Institutionally, the university can promote the Indigenous Land Acknowledgement through signage, on its website and though social medial. Students, administrators, faculty, and staff can participate in the use of the Land Acknowledgement by including it when opening events and including it in email signatures and on personal web pages (Waterloo, n.d.). At university events, the highest-ranking university official should give the acknowledgment whenever they are making a presentation or holding a meeting, whether Indigenous people are present or not. The Land Acknowledgment is a reflective process that can be used to guide conversation and action. (LSPRIG, n.d.). Land Acknowledgement reminds people that colonization is an ongoing process and it begins to repair the relationship with Indigenous communities and the land (USDAC, n.d.). *The UW-Green Bay Land Acknowledgement video is not to be used as a replacement to have the highest-ranking university official read the statement at events.

Land Acknowledgement with Pronunciations

“We at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay acknowledge the First Nations people who are the original inhabitants of the region. The Ho-Chunk (Hoh-chunk) Nation and the Menominee (Meh-nah-min-knee) 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 (Oh-niy-duh) Nation of Wisconsin, Forest County Potawatomi (Pah-tah-wah-tuh-me), Ojibwe (O-jib-way) Nation communities, Stockbridge-Munsee (Stock-bridge – Muhn-see) Community Band of Mohican (Mo-hee-can) Indians and the Brothertown (Brother-ton) Indian Nation.

We acknowledge the First Nations Peoples of Wisconsin.”

Guide Resources
  • Laurier Students Public Interests Research Group. (n.d.). Know the land territories campaign. Retrieved October 31, 2018, from http://www.lspirg.org/knowtheland/
  • United States Department of Arts and Culture. (n.d.). Honor native land: A guide and call to acknowledgment. Retrieved December 13, 2018, from https://usdac.us/nativeland/
  • Waterloo University. (n.d.). About territorial acknowledgment. Retrieved December 13, 2018, from https://uwaterloo.ca/arts/about-arts/territorial-acknowledgement

Ongoing Learning Resources