Land acknowledgements are statements spoken at the beginning of meetings and events, both online and in person. They are verbal tributes to the indigenous people who lived in the land where the meeting is held, prior to contact with Europeans. However, the issue is much more complicated than a single statement. Actions range from a sentence or two mentioning the tribe’s name, to invitations to indigenous speakers to speak about the issues surrounding land acknowledgments. This can be a first step to creating awareness of what can be changed.

Current State Land Acknowledgment

This text is NOT prescriptive, but rather, a suggestion for branches to use or make up their own and which was approved by the 2023 State Board.

We wish to acknowledge the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories and the living indigenous peoples where we each live. We recognize that we are here because of the sacrifice forced upon them. As a long-time advocate of social justice, AAUW-WA, as respectful allies, recognize the specific claims of native groups.