For official college functions, the following condensed version is a suggested tribal lands acknowledgment to use in all opening remarks.
Purpose:
The purpose of a land acknowledgment is to recognize and pay respect to the original inhabitants of a specific region. It is an opportunity to express gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory in which we exist.
Use:
This land acknowledgment is used at Bates Technical College events. We welcome any person or any organization who/that would like to use this land acknowledgment to do so. We ask that it be used to continue advocating for and partnering with Indigenous communities and neighbors.
Condensed version:
I would like to begin this event by reflecting on the history of the land Bates Technical College occupies. We honor and recognize the Coast Salish people, specifically the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, on whose traditional territory and ancestral lands Bates Technical College campuses sit. After signing the Treaty of Medicine Creek with the United States in 1854, they were forcibly relocated onto reservation lands in what is now Tacoma. We acknowledge and thank the original stewards of this land.
Extended version:
Bates Technical College honors and recognizes the Coast Salish people, specifically the spuyaləpabš, Puyallup Tribe of Indians, on whose traditional territory and ancestral lands its campuses sit. After signing the Treaty of Medicine Creek with the United States in 1854, they were forcibly relocated onto reservation lands in what is now Tacoma.
We gratefully honor and acknowledge that we rest on the traditional lands of the Puyallup people. The Puyallup people have lived on this land since time immemorial. They are one of the many Lushootseed-speaking peoples of the northwest. Prior to European settlement, the Puyallup people lived in villages from the foothills of təqʷuʔmaʔ/təqʷuʔbəd along the rivers, creeks, and prairies to the shores and islands of the Puget Sound. They are still here today. They live, work, raise their children, take care of their community, practice their traditional ways, and speak the Lushootseed language – just as their ancestors did.
We acknowledge and thank the original stewards of this land. It is our hope that students, employees, and guests continue to honor and care for the land that we use.