Table of Contents
Before we begin, we would like to state that what we are trying to do is “re-indigenize” the land, as we cannot introduce indigeneity where it has existed before colonization. Where we are promoting efforts to “indigenize” the campus as this is a colonial environment. This way we recognize the ways the spaces interact with Indigeneity.
The land on which we stand →”re-indigenizing”
Mount Holyoke College→ “indigenizing”
Following this, we have decided to not create our own land acknowledgement and will use the one Mount Holyoke College’s provided one and push more energy towards what the land acknowledgement means for our past, present, and future.
History:
Mount Holyoke College
In the Fall of 2021, on September 8th, Mount Holyoke College adopted the land acknowledgment policy that you must have provided a statement preceding the beginning of college-affiliated events on/off campus. Before the Land Acknowledgement policy came into place there were the events and organizations that led up to the implementation of the policy.
Starting in 1918, the remains of an Indigenous woman donated to the college, which occurred after the fire in 1917 destroying the college’s prominent “biological collections“. From 1918 to dates unknown, the remains were used for instructional purposed and were stored away in 1990 after the federal law NAGPRA was passed. Efforts to repatriate the remains were stopped in 2000s, until 2015 where efforts were revitalized. The remains were finally repatriated during the fall of 2021.
In 1995, the Indigenous cultural center then known as “Native Spirit” was formed and then in 1997 was renamed the “Zowie Banteah Cultural Center” in honor of Zowie Banteah who helped found the center. From the time of its founding the center resided upstairs from the Ortega (Eliana Ortega Cultural Center) up until the fall of 2022 where it moved in-between the respective Ham and Macgregor residential halls.
Since these events have happened and the time in-between leading up to now there have been BOOM! (Building On Our Momentum) events & talks, events held on campus, and in the Five College Consortium that cover topics about Indigeneity.
Land acknowledgments in general
Land Acknowledgements are used to recognize the Indigenous people who were the original stewards of the land of which we preside on and have recently begun to gain traction lately, however this is not when it was first introduced.
Land acknowledgements were first introduced and practiced by Indigenous peoples themselves!
“Native nations from throughout the Americas have, for centuries, practiced different ways of acknowledging land ownership.” – Renée Gokey, Smithsonian Voices, 2021
The land acknowledgement we have today differentiate themselves from what they did centuries ago, when visiting their neighbors’ Indigenous people would come bearing gifts and ask permission before visiting. This practice recognized the nations stewardship of the land and fostered relationships, as well as mutual respect between communities.
The land acknowledgements that we come to recognize today, first began in Canada during the 1970’s and have branched out to New Zealand, Australia and beginning to gain common practice in the United States. Most recently, during the past five years Land Acknowledgements have been seen more prominently across public events, higher learning institutions, conferences, and more. Following this “trend,” we need to think carefully about what we saying and doing to help the Indigenous, as land acknowledgements can become performative or a step towards change.
” ‘If it becomes routine, or worse yet, is strictly performative, then it has no meaning at all…It goes in one ear and out the other.’ “ – quote by Kevin Gover, Chloe Vetman, NPR, 2023
Project:
The scope of the Land Acknowledgement project is to bring light to how limited the enforced policy is and to address where it falls short. Where it was supposed to be set as a stepping stone towards making nurtured relationships with the surrounding Indigenous communities, we have fallen short (as a college/ campus). It seems as if the Land Acknowledgment policy creates this idea of something “you have to do” rather than something “you want to do”. Initially, this policy was put into effect in the fall of 2021 and was heard at the beginning of “every” Mount Holyoke College affiliated event and shifted the dynamics set. Although this “change” stopped being proactive once the policy was used as something required and repetitive rather than taking a step towards change and creating relationships with the land and the people who came before, the stewards, the surrounding Indigenous communities. The lack of actions can be seen at the beginning of each Mount Holyoke College event, the lack of meaningful, maintained relationships formed with the surrounding Indigenous communities, and on the campus in general. One example of this can be found in the college’s art museum, when you initially walk into the art museums your eyes are drawn to the surrounding art pieces and most viewers overlook the small, out-of-view land acknowledgment, often going unnoticed.
This is where our project begins…
Thinking Process of Land Acknowledgement:
Initially, during our class’s (Decolonizing Museums) visit to the art museum, we were tasked with finding objects that caught our attention and we were left to our own devices. The majority of our peers set off deeper into the museum, walking past the first room onto the next. However, this was not the first time I had visited the museum, and wanted to look deeper into each room, wondering what I could have missed, keeping this in mind I noticed that one of our class visitors, Katie Dick, was looking at a small framed picture set in a place that you would walk right past and what was this section you ask? The land acknowledgment, set in a corner, out of view, and as discussed in our lesson the weeks prior (Decolonizing Museums) lacked wonder and resonance. This was soon brought to the museum’s official’s attention when we regrouped a couple of minutes later and the whole class claimed that they did not notice that.
The discussion continued on and I began to wonder what a good land acknowledgment would be and how much-uncharted territory it would cover. As a part of the solutions conveyed, Katie mentioned that they could stick a piece of paper near the beginning of the entrance to represent what a land acknowledgment feels like. To walk into the museum would be to walk on a long strip of paper representing a land acknowledgement and here it would represent two things as time passed: degradation and repetition. Initially, she thought of it as the piece of paper encompassing words and that’s what they were, words, and to add to the effect people would have to walk on this piece of paper, furthering the effect of degradation. Next, we have address the repetition happening during land acknowledgements, because as more and more people walk over the paper, we lose sight of the words and therefore the meaning behind it, becoming nothing more than a piece of paper on the floor. During the thinking process of this idea, I asked other students what they thought of the idea and one of the questions that was brought up was, “what if they don’t want to walk over the ‘piece of paper’?” and I replied even though you may not inherently want to, you subconsciously do. Here, I told them about even without realising some of the actions you perform, such as intiatating a land acknowledgement, you are still walking over that “piece of paper”. However, as time went on Katie declared that this idea too had it’s limitations; it had the qualities of a performative act the same as the land acknowledgement and like the land acknowledgement would fall under similar effects.
Similar to Katie’s actions, right after discussing the Land Acknowledgement issue in the museum, I began to think about how we could resolve this issue or rather “start” to address this issue and I started to sketch my ideas down. My original idea was to add Indigenous elements to the Land Acknowledgement and this was not just in words or names, but in knowledge, practices, and thinking. The first sketch consisted of a quick drawing of the room of the aforementioned land acknowledgement (in the museum), and the sides of the room were highlighted by each color of the medicine wheel widely used by Indigenous people in North America. Each direction would hold the tribe/nation recognized with it: East containing Nipmuc and Wompanoag nations (yellow), the South having Mohegan and Pequot (red), the West the Mohican (black), and lastly the North with the Abenaki (white). Nonotuck would be expressed through the means of being a part of the land we are actively on, in the center of the room. On the walls, we would have murals done by local Indigenous artists from each nation invited to share and represent their people.
As time passed throughout the semester, we have met with more people, attended events, and engaged in more conversations. During the annual event of BOOM!, one of the speakers was an elder, Charles Turtle Harris, held a workshop on indigenous medicines and herbs, where he mentioned, during a prayer, the six directions: East, South, West, North, above, and below. Further research on this knowledge would point you in the direction of more directions, where there are not four, not six, but seven in total! The last being, yourself, where you are, this is the center. Another issue arose and was brought to attention while proceeding with the beginning of the projet: what language are we going to use? Well, hopefully the idea was to implement more Indigenous terms, as well as make sure to use the names of the nations were chosen for themselves and not given to them by others. To make the idea of the medicine wheel more applicable to others, we needed more information, and where were we going to acquire it? From the source, by asking the local Indigenous communities, as well as the surrounding ones; they are all included! These issues and ideas helped formed the ongoing project idea, meaning that new information and inspiration will change the course of the result.
The Idea:
The idea of this project is to the create a more enriching and engaging “land acknowledgement” that went beyond the policy and words. Another notion that was important to the project was to create a grounded experience & relationship that was not only tied to the land, but the people encompassing it, past, present and the future. To have a tie embedded onto the land that could outlast a movement, agenda, and trend.
The idea is focused in incorporating Indigenous knowledge and teachings. This is done through the use of the medicine wheel. Assuming we have a room, the layout would consist of having 7 primary engagements based on the directions used: the East, the South, the West, the North, above, below and the center. Starting with the East, we would have the walls filled with murals of the tribes/nations of Nipmuc and Wampanoag, this side would be represented throught the color of yellow. Next, the South would have a mural representing the tribes/nations of Mohegan and the Pequot through the color of red. Then, the West would have a mural of the Mohican colored by black. Last of the cardinal directions, North would represent the Abenaki throug the color of white. Now, we add two more physical engagements by using the floor and the ceiling. Below, we would represent Mother Earth and how she supports us all, as well as including the seasons and sacred plants through designs of the floor; each season and plant would be situated on the floor in accordance with there positions to the medicine wheel. Above, we would have Father Sky and the outlook we have (hope), as well as encompassing the time of the day and health domains; each time of day and heatlh domain would be situated on the ceiling in accordance with there positions to the medicine wheel. Lastly, we have the center, where might this be? This is where you would stand, in the middle of it all! In the room, on the land, between the other directions, and in time. How you proceed with engaging with the “project” is the last engagement, what you learned, felt, and did.
Another aspect of the “idea” is to create engagements that will result in on-going relationships with both local and far Indigenous communities. This can be done through a sponsoring Indigenous artist by hiring them for the aforementioned murals, consultations, or for contemporary art, just as well as inviting them to events and opportunities to create “community”. Through the use of Indigenous art, we can connect traditional art to contemporary ones from the past to the present, and as Indigenous art evolves there will be openings to acquire new art in the future; therefore, displaying a continuous cycle of reciprocation between the place implementing this “idea” and the local Indigenous artists. By participating in these engagements, we would create meaningful connections and help dispel harmful ideas, such as the “vanishing Indian” trope. By connecting the past to the present, while looking to the future, we create bonds that have more impact and outlast sentiments in the traditional “land acknowledgement”.
What’s our progress?:
Right now, our progress of implementing a more meaningful and physical infrastructure of a land acknowledgment is in the process of proposals and gathering more information regarding this heavy topic. We are reaching out to local Indigenous communities to initiate the first connection between the campus and them, to introduce ourselves before we start to work together. As we reach out to Indigenous communities, we are reaching out to local historians who can tell us the history “written down” to give us another glimpse at what happened regarding the land; we need to acknowledge the history of the land as well as the campus’s. Regarding that we have just begun this plunge into a world that has yet to be explored and defined, also adding to the fact that we had less than one semester to complete our projects and submit our proposals…this is what we have so far.
Mount Holyoke Colleges Potential:
As the land acknowledgement starts these conversations about Indigeneity on campus, it provides an opportunity to further research, partnerships, and information regarding topics such as:
- #LANDBACK
- MMIW-Awareness
- establishing an Indigenous student’s club/ organization
- important dates that hold significance in these communities
- February 21st-International Mother Language Day
- May 5th-National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Peoples (MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+)
- September 30th-Orange Shirt Day (Residential Schools)
- 2nd Monday of October (replacing Columbus Day) Indigenous People’s Day
- Let’s start these conversations…
“What can I do to help?”-Things to consider:
Keep in Mind that the Land Acknowledgement serves as “a step” towards Indigenizing Colonial spaces. More work needs to be done!
Words matter
When writing or speaking out about land acknowledgements, one of the most important things to take into consideration is the “words” that you use in your acknowledgements. Here we highlight the three types of “words/ wordings” to take into account. First, when thinking about how you address the audience and the pronouns you use when relaying your message, you explicitly state whom is acknowledging the land. For example, the pronouns, “I” and “we” express who is acknowledging and taking a part of the message; this helps connect the message to a group of people rather than leaving it open to interpretation. Next, we have the language usage of names associated with the tribes/nations of Indigenous tribes you are acknowledging. When mentioning their names, make sure to do intensive research to find the names that they have chosen for themselves, not the ones that were forced upon them. For example, the name Navajo was attributed to that nation by the Spanish, where they would call themselves, Diné, “the People.” Then, when writing your land acknowledgement, you are acknowledging the history of the land as well as the people tied to it, to fully grasp these ideas and to provide the context of where it is today, DO NOT sugarcoat what has happened! Lastly, when writing your land acknowledgement, use past, present, and future tenses when addressing colonialism and Indigenous People. The land acknowledgement should address colonialism’s place in history as well as the effects it has on the present, to identify our current participations in doing so. With regards to Indigenous people, do not add to the “vanishing Indian” trope because this dangerous to these communities. Indigenous people are still here and will continue to be!
Who does the LA matters
When thinking about who is going to do the land acknowledgement, some factors must be taken into consideration as this will change the whole dynamic of the acknowledgement. Taking this into account there will not be one type of land acknowledgement template to follow, there will various types of acknowledgements. Following this Land Acknowledgements coming from Indigenous People and Non-Indigenous People will look different, taking this one step forward, a land acknowledgement done by an Indigenous person who is not a local to the land you are acknowledging will be different as well.
Indigenous (innately decolonized) vs. non-Indigenous (innately colonist)
Another factor to consider when doing a land acknowledgement is to understand what you are doing if or when you ask an Indigenous person to do the Land Acknowledgement. You must understand the emotional labor that comes with this as well as the message that comes across when you take this route (taking the easy route and pressing the labor onto an Indigenous person). Remember to compensate them for the labor done as well ask them what you can do to help yourself.
Events or resources one can use/ attend to become better informed:
One of the things a person can do to help is to become better informed and to start reaching out to Indigenous communities, starting local then branching out. You can start by using the sources listed below, which cover topics such as Indigenous teachings, land acknowledgements, as well as the sources provided by the college. Or you can start by visiting the Zowie Banteah Cultural Center and you can ask questions in person and become informed of events that are taking place. By supporting this center, we can uplift the vocality of the people reached and impacted to grow the support to Indigenous causes. Through the “Zowie” we can create and foster relationships with the Indigenous communities, local and far, continuing our mission to Indigenizing the campus and Re-indigenizing the land!
Sources:
Websites
The Seven Directions of the Medicine Wheel | The Shift Network
A guide to Indigenous land acknowledgment – Native Governance Center
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Land Acknowledment
Indigenous leaders want land acknowledgments to really benefit their communities : NPR
Honoring Original Indigenous Inhabitants: Land Acknowledgment | Helpful Handout Educator Resource
Land Acknowledgements | Inclusive Princeton
The meaning — and limitations — of land acknowledgements – Vox
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Land Acknowledgement Statement | Mount Holyoke College (mtholyoke.edu)
Mount Holyoke College Land Acknowledgement Policy (mtholyoke.edu)
Repatriation of Indigenous ancestral remains | Mount Holyoke College (mtholyoke.edu)
Indigenous remains repatriated from Mount Holyoke over 30 years later — Mount Holyoke News
Acknowledgements of Individuals and Collaborations
A special thanks to the following individuals and collaborations who provided intel and feedback during the ongoing project:
- Katie Dick
- Rachel Sayet
- Ellen Alvord
- Aaron Miller
We, also, wanted to acknowledge the efforts that the Decolonizing Museums class of Spring 2022 had achieved and in turn inspired us in our projects! The class started to think about Indigeneity as a tool for decolonizing learning and to incorporate it into practices in museums.