Land Acknowledgement Resources

Publicly acknowledging the original stewards of the land you are on can be a meaningful way to honor Indigenous peoples and resist erasure of their histories. The power of an acknowledgement lies in learning as much as you can about local treaties and practices, while working to build accountable relationships.

The Duwamish Longhouse staff put together the slide below to support land acknowledgements at personal and professional gatherings in the Greater Seattle area. As you speak from the heart about whose land we are on and why this is important to recognize, this resource can help people instantly get more information about the Tribe and take tangible action to show their support. Please take a moment to download it.

If you want to make a land acknowledgement but aren't sure what to say, here are some resources and examples:

Native Governance Center: A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
​Teen Vogue: Indigenous Land Acknowledgement, Explained
Beyond Territorial Acknowledgements

“We at Seattle Mennonite church acknowledge that we are on the unceded ancestral lands of the Duwamish people. A people that are still here, continuing to honor and bring to light their ancient heritage.” Exterior wall of Seattle Mennonite Church in North Seattle. This was a project of a senior high school student who worked closely with a Duwamish elder.

"Northwest Film Forum acknowledges that we gather on Indigenous land: the traditional territory of Coast Salish peoples, specifically the Duwamish Tribe (Dkhw Duw’Absh)." Interior wall of Northwest Film Forum in Capitol Hill neighborhood.