Land Acknowledgement

At present, there are 574 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages with government-to-government relationships with the United States. The citizens of these nations are also citizens of the United States, and their languages, cultures and histories are a part of our shared story.

Wisconsin is home to 12 First Nations communities including the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Brothertown Nation, Forest County Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk Nation, Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, Oneida Nation, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Sokaogon Chippewa Community, St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, and Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians.

The best way to acknowledge the places where we live and work are to know and appreciate them. Land acknowledgements help us remember the nations and the ancestors who were stewards of the places where we live. We encourage everyone to trace and celebrate their own connections to land and water and get to know the local indigenous history of sustainable, resilient human presence in the places they live and work and across Wisconsin. Individuals should know the nearby native nations and be encouraged to work toward reconciliation where land has been taken and culture erased. The best acknowledgement is one that begins with the facts and is adapted to reflect personal and communal experiences.

We acknowledge the First Nations People of Wisconsin who are the original inhabitants of the state and respect their inherent sovereignty. The land that UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee and the locations where we provide professional development opportunities across the state are the ancestral homelands of the 12 First Nation Communities in Wisconsin. We acknowledge that numerous Native peoples were stewards of the land for thousands of years, and we respect the sacredness of these lands. We recognize these great Native nations and are thankful to provide educational opportunities in such prominent, historic and meaningful landscapes.