Land Acknowledgement Statements

Things to Consider
  • Why? Before you begin writing a Land Acknowledgement statement you should ask yourself why it is important to do so. What does it mean to be a settler on someone else's stolen land? 
  • It's for You. Land Acknowledgement statements are primarily for you, not for us, and YOU should read them to open meetings, events, etc., not us. 
  • Be creative . . . or not. Land Acknowledgement statements can take different forms, from a formal policy to performance art.  
  • Work with us. We are here to offer advice, but we encourage you to write them on your own, and then let us review it before it is finalized.
  • Coherence. Integrate your organization's (or personal) values, initiatives, principles, etc. into the statement in order to enhance coherence or to show alignment.
  • Exclusivity.  Contrary to the practice of inclusivity, Land Acknowledgement statements are exclusive to the original peoples of the land where you live and work. 
  • Land Acknowledgement Plus!: How does the Land Acknowledgement statement live in your work? In other words, activate the ideas and commitments behind the Land Acknowledgement statement--make it more than just a symbolic statement. We are excited to partner with you in those actions.  

Resources
we have provided some resources below, including two guides along with a few samples.  A search of the topic on the internet will provide additional examples.

A generic land acknowledgements statement follows:

We acknowledge that _______ is located on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. ​
Honor Native Land (PDF)
Land Acknowledgement (PDF)

Examples

San Francisco Human Rights Commission (Full Version)
We,                                   , acknowledge that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramaytush Ohlone have never ceded, lost nor forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who reside in their traditional territory. As Guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the Ancestors and Relatives of the Ramaytush community and by affirming their sovereign rights as First Peoples.
       Adopted by SF HRC: Nov. 12, 2020

American Sociological Association (more political)
​Before we can talk about sociology, power, inequality, we must acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the traditional and unceded territory of the Ramaytush Ohlone (pronounced Rah-my-toosh O-lone-ee). We, the American Sociological Association (ASA), acknowledge that academic institutions, indeed the nation-state itself, was founded upon and continues to enact exclusions and erasures of Indigenous Peoples. This acknowledgement demonstrates a commitment to beginning the process of working to dismantle ongoing legacies of settler colonialism, and to recognize the hundreds of Indigenous Nations who continue to resist, live, and uphold their sacred relations across their lands. We also pay our respect to Indigenous elders past, present, and future and to those who have stewarded this land throughout the generations.
​
Presidio Trust  
We would like to acknowledge that the Presidio of San Francisco is the traditional territory of the Yelamu, a local tribe of Ramaytush Ohlone peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula. Yelamu familes lived in the village of Petlenuc, long before California was Spain, Mexico, or the United States. As a reminder, the process of colonization is ongoing and still adversely affects the indigenous people from the Bay Area. We encourage you to keep this in mind throughout the tour.
Notre Dame de Namur University
We acknowledge that Notre Dame de Namur University sits on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone who are the original peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula. We recognize that we benefit from living and working on their traditional homeland, and we affirm their sovereign rights as first peoples.    
​
 Generic (emphasis on nature)
_____ acknowledges that it is located on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples, recognizes that, as the original stewards of this land, the Ramaytush Ohlone understood the interconnectedness of all things and maintained harmony with nature for millennia, and honors the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples for their enduring commitment to Mother Earth.

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Land Acknowledgment 
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco respectfully acknowledge the Ramaytush Ohlone, the original inhabitants of what is now the San Francisco Peninsula.


Indigenous communities have lived in and moved through this land over hundreds of generations and Indigenous peoples from many nations make their home in this region today. Please join us in recognizing and honoring their ancestors, descendants, and all other members of their communities. 

Urban Forestry Council (Full Version)
The Urban Forestry Council acknowledges that we occupy the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples, who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula.
We wish to pay our respects to the Ancestors, Elders and Relatives of the Ramaytush Community and to affirm their sovereign rights as First Peoples. We honor the Ramaytush Ohlone for their enduring commitment to steward Mother Earth. We recognize that the Ramaytush Ohlone have lived in harmony with nature for millennia, and that to achieve a truly ecologically sustainable future for San Francisco, we must embrace Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge in how we care for the city’s lands, waters, and all its people.​