How Was It Created?
The specific wording in ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ's land acknowledgement is the result of an intentional, collaborative process with the Myaamia Center and with review and approval from the ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ Tribe of Oklahoma.
Land Acknowledgement
¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ's Land Acknowledgement
¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ is located within the traditional homelands of the ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ and Shawnee people, who along with other Indigenous groups ceded these lands to the United States in the first treaty of Greenville in 1795.
The ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ people, whose name our university carries, were forcibly removed from these homelands in 1846.
In 1972, our relationship between ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ and the ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ Tribe of Oklahoma began and evolved into a reciprocal partnership, including the creation of the Myaamia Center at ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ in 2001.
The work of the Myaamia Center serves the ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ Tribe community and is dedicated to the revitalization of ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ language and culture and to restoring that knowledge to the Myaamia people.
¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ and the ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ Tribe are proud of this work and of the Myaamia students who have attended ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ since 1991 through the Myaamia Heritage Award Program.
FAQ's
How Can I Use It?
The ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ land acknowledgement is available for those wishing to use it.
- Read it aloud during the first day of class and/or add it to your syllabus
- Read it aloud before a public meeting.
Can I Make My Own Land Acknowledgement?
No, only this published land agreement or the approved shortened email signature version should be used. The land acknowledgement stated on this page was written and approved with great care and consideration.
Where Can I Learn More?
Learn More About ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ Tribe Relations
"Acknowledgment is a simple, powerful way of showing respect and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase indigenous people's history and culture and toward inviting and honoring the truth." "Acknowledgment by itself is a small gesture. It becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationships and informed action. But this beginning can be an opening to greater public consciousness of Native sovereignty and cultural rights, a step toward equitable relationship and reconciliation." U.S. Department of Arts and Culture