Land Acknowledgement
ADOPTED APRIL 10, 2023
Revised June 13, 2023
Arts Are Elementary operates on the stolen homeland of the Wabanaki, People of the Dawnland. Today, the four tribes in the place we now call Maine are the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet and Mi'kmaq, known collectively as the Wabanaki. Each tribal community maintains its own government, schools, cultural center and its respective lands and natural resources. It is our responsibility to acknowledge the sovereignty and the traditional territories of these Tribal Nations.
We extend our respect and gratitude to Wabanaki people, ancestral, contemporary, and future, as we acknowledge the painful legacy of the region’s colonial history. We commit to better understanding it, while also celebrating the vibrancy of Indigenous cultures and working to build a more inclusive community.
Arts Are Elementary commits to learning an honest history of this land and acknowledges the historic and ongoing harms to Wabanaki people. We invite you to consider finding ways of honoring and supporting Indigenous Nations and communities here and throughout the world.
What is a land acknowlegement statement?
According to the Smithsonian Institution,
"Land acknowledgment is a traditional custom that dates back centuries in many Native nations and communities. Today, land acknowledgments are used by Native Peoples and non-Natives to recognize Indigenous Peoples who are the original stewards of the lands on which we now live."
Additional information about land acknowledgements provided by Wabanaki Reach: