Land Acknowledgement

“If we think of territorial acknowledgments as sites of potential disruption, they can be transformative acts that to some extent undo Indigenous erasure. I believe this is true as long as these acknowledgments discomfit both those speaking and hearing the words. The fact of Indigenous presence should force non-Indigenous peoples to confront their own place on these lands.”

– Chelsea Vowel, Métis, author of Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations Métis and Inuit Issues in Canada, (HighWater Press, 2016)

Thinking about institutions like museums in particular, land or territory acknowledgement can help to address the legacy of colonialism that continues to displace and affect Indigenous people. Land acknowledgements have become political statements performed at the beginning of events at universities, museums, and other governmental institutions. They are usually directed towards the non-Indigenous audience, asking people to recognize that they are on Indigenous land and thank the hosts for allowing them to be there, but this can be complicated when we consider treaties are real:

“It effectively excuses [the non-Indigenous audience and speakers] and offers them an alibi for doing the hard work of learning about their neighbors and learning about the treaties of the territory and learning about those nations that should have jurisdiction.”

– Hayden King, Anishinaabe, author, Indigenous education/director, Yellowhead Institute at Ryerson University

We encourage you to take the time to read through the complicated history of the Land Run in 1884. Consider that some early settlers were privileged with homes that still occupy Indigenous land. For instance, OSU and the Stillwater History Museum at the Sheerar sit upon on lands promised to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in exchange for their ancestral homelands during the 1830s removal period. Consider also that some Native people living in Indian and Oklahoma territories had been dislocated from their ancestral homelands.

We acknowledge the original inhabitants of the land of present-day Stillwater. They speak languages from the Caddoan, Kiowa-Tanoan, and Siouan language families. The “Savages and Princesses: The Persistence of Native American Stereotypes” exhibit hopes to address the harm stereotypes cause. Look for updates to exhibits addressing Stillwater’s Native history coming in 2021.

Below are links to several Indigenous non-profit organizations that offer various ways to learn more or get involved.