Page 30 - APAP - Inside Arts - Summer 2020

________________ People
[if possible, add more specific detail about the nature of the occupied land]. We pay respects to their elders past and present. Please take a moment to consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that bring us together here today. And please join us in uncovering such truths at any and all public events.
What about more than an acknowledgment: a prayer, ceremony, or performance? Is it OK for me to try for that?
There are many possible steps beyond acknowledgment. All should be offered by Indigenous people. When members of one
Native people visit the territory
of another, they may engage in a formal exchange of greetings, gifts, and blessings. Artists or spiritual leaders whose tribe’s traditional lands are the site of your event may be invited to offer a traditional cultural protocol or to acknowledge ancestors with a song, prayer, or ritual. Whether you are non-Native or Indigenous, it is perfectly fine
to reach out to local Indigenous organizations or individuals with a respectful invitation.
It’s also important to offer
an honorarium, travel stipend
(if applicable) and/or a gift as appropriate to the individual elder, artist, or spiritual leader that you’ve invited. Give your invited guests enough time to consider the request
and meaningfully prepare. Each group, region and event is different.
You say “Acknowledgment
by itself is a small gesture. It becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationship and informed action.” What kind of action? I’m worried that we will be asked to change our programs or staffing or governance in ways I can’t make happen. Higher-ups could be upset if I open the door to requests they won’t grant.
The USDAC understands acknowledgement as a beginning,
a possible opening to greater
public consciousness of Native sovereignty and cultural rights and toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture, toward inviting and honoring the truth.
To bring about equity, belonging, and justice, things have to change. The first steps toward that culture shift are awareness of what has been and what could be and public acknowledgment of those realities.
For non-Native organizations, entering into dialogue and relationship with Indigenous people calls for respect and reciprocity, deep listening and truth-telling. There is no immunity from facing these truths.
We at the USDAC would love to hear about your experiences, and any questions you might have about land acknowledgement. Write us at hello@usdac.us.
A version of this article originally appeared on the U.S. Department of Arts & Culture blog in 2018. It is reprinted here with permission from the USDAC.
Harry B. Wallace, Chief of the Unkechaug Indian Nation, offered a blessing at APAP|NYC 2020.
28 INSIDE ARTS SUMMER 2020
CREDIT IN GUTTER: ADAM KISSICK/APAP