What is a Land Acknowledgment?
A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories.
Why do we recognize the land?
To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory you reside on, a way of showing awareness of Indigenous presence and land rights in everyday life. We feel it is important to understand the history that has brought us to reside on the land, and to seek to understand our place within that history.
In addition to thanks, I would like to acknowledge our theatre sits on the traditional, ancestral, and current home of Native Americans, Indigenous, and First Nations people. I ask you to join me in acknowledging the many tribal groups from our area including the Osage, Kaw, Missouria, Shawnee and Wyandot tribes. We honor the elders both past and the present and this calls us to commit to continuing to learn their stories as well as how to be better stewards of the land that we occupy.