Land Acknowledgement

The goal of this land acknowledgement is to serve as a reminder of past atrocities and as an impetus and promise to do better in the future. Through it we commit to robustly engage in educational activities that advance equity and care, that honor and acknowledge, and to work to build stronger relationships with Indigenous people and groups. We thank community members from the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, the Wendat Nation Cultural Center, the Sault Ste. Marie Ojibwe Tribe, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, as well as Indigenous people affiliated with American Indian Health & Family Services, and the Indigenous Peoples Advisory Council for lending support and wisdom throughout the development of this Land Acknowledgement.

Recommended for website and signage

The University of Michigan-Dearborn acknowledges and honors Indigenous peoples and their heritage as stewards of the land and water. The land that we occupy is the traditional homeland of the Ojibwe, Odawa,  Bodwéwadmi, and Wendat Nations. The term “ė mingoyak” reflects the Bodwéwadmi understanding of land as “that which has been given to us” reflecting an enduring and reciprocal relationship with the natural world. We acknowledge the painful history of ethnocide and forced occupation and appropriation of territory and the accompanying degradation of its resources. We honor these nations’ past, present, and future generations along with other Indigenous peoples, who have lived here in harmony with nature for millennia. We are committed to recognizing the Indigenous heritage and voice of this land. We also commit to advancing educational equity and care, fostering a spirit of earnest reciprocity, and protecting and honoring our shared natural world. 

Recommended if read aloud

The goal of this Land Acknowledgement is to serve as a reminder of past atrocities and as an impetus to do better in the future. 

The land that we occupy is the traditional homeland of the Ojibwe, Odawa, Bodwéwadmi, and Wendat Nations. We acknowledge the painful history of ethnocide and forced occupation and appropriation of territory and the accompanying degradation of its resources. We recognize the Indigenous heritage of this land, and commit to advancing educational equity and care, fostering a spirit of earnest reciprocity, and protecting and honoring our shared natural world.

Suggested email signature, if one is desired

The land that we occupy is the traditional homeland of the Ojibwe, Odawa,  Bodwéwadmi, and Wendat Nations. We recognize the Indigenous heritage of this land, and commit to advancing educational equity and care, fostering a spirit of earnest reciprocity, and protecting and honoring our shared natural world.