Background
In late 2021, the PCC Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility (EDIBA) was asked by the PCC Policy Committee (PoCo) to draft a land acknowledgement statement for use by the PCC. In investigating this request, EDIBA members found significant criticism of these statements, with the main concern being that these statements can be performative and used in place of initiating real change benefiting Indigenous peoples. Additionally, the PCC is a global organization, whose members include Indigenous people and settlers across a variety of geographic, institutional, and historical contexts, and whose activities take place on many different lands and virtual infrastructures. As such, no single land acknowledgement can represent the PCC's relationships to Indigenous lands or peoples. A generic or "fill in the blank'' land acknowledgement would be antithetical to the local reflection, contextualization, and action that these types of statements encourage.
EDIBA concluded instead that more education was needed for PoCo members to make an informed decision on the appropriateness of making a land acknowledgement statement. As a first step toward understanding the nature of the commitment such a statement would entail, PoCo members were pointed to various resources available online.
After further discussion at the PoCo January 12, 2023 meeting, PoCo requested that EDIBA compile a list of resources to aid PCC members in developing greater awareness of Indigenous peoples and an understanding of the issues involved in making land acknowledgement statements, as well as Indigenous issues within metadata contexts. These resources Indigenous Metadata Resources are listed here.
Our listing below starts off with the Native Land Digital Map as any initial step must begin with the knowledge of whose lands we are situated on. The resources that follow lead you to presentations, teaching modules, articles, and websites. None of these resources should be seen as a substitute for building relationships with Indigenous peoples themselves. We encourage the development of mutually beneficial relationships with local Indigenous communities, while recognizing the significant demands on the time and energy of those within these Indigenous communities. Additionally, we invite members to explore further, seek out additional materials, and contribute suggestions to enhance this collection.
Guidelines and Best Practices
Native Land Digital Map: Map showing the traditional territories of Indigenous groups in North America, Australia, South Africa, and parts of South America. The map provides a glimpse into the complexity of Indigenous groups past and present, with a goal of sparking discussion about colonialism.
Beyond Land Acknowledgement Resources: List of 16 resources compiled by Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation) in 2021, with information about the Land Back movement and moving beyond symbolic or check-box acknowledgements.
More than Words: A Guide to Land Acknowledgements: A tool created by the Office of Indigenous Initiatives at Western University to help guide people through reflections which can provide insight into writing better land acknowledgment statements.
Guide to Acknowledging First Peoples and Traditional Territory: A compilation of land acknowledgment statements created by the Canadian Association of University Teachers.
Land Acknowledgement and Beyond: Special Collections and Indigenous Community (part 1) (part 2): 2-part webinar hosted by the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries in 2021.
Land Acknowledgement Template for Personalization, Definitions, and Speaker Protocol: A 17-page document with a customizable template created in 2019 by the University of Alberta Library and Information Studies Students’ Association.
Are you Planning to do a Land Acknowledgement?: 2019 blog post from Dr. Debbie Reese on the American Indians in Children's Literature blog about whether and how to do a land acknowledgement.
Transformative Territory Acknowledgement Guide: Guide from Len Pierre Consulting, with examples, guidelines and resources for developing more reflective and transformative territorial acknowledgements.
Personal Perspectives and Narratives
What's Wrong With Land Acknowledgments, and How to Make Them Better: 2021 CBC News article by Ka’nhehsí:io Deer providing perspectives from multiple First Nations people on land acknowledgments, and how organizations can take action beyond those statements.
So You Began Your Event with an Indigenous Land Acknowledgement. Now What?: 2023 NPR broadcast/story on land acknowledgements and perspectives from Indigenous leaders and activists on the practice.
Six Miles from the Mouth of the River: Who Are Land Acknowledgements For?: 2024 column by Kelly Boutsalis, a Mohawk journalist from the Six Nations of the Grand River, on the problems surrounding land acknowledgements from her viewpoint.
