Earthworks
Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma members in regalia at the Great Circle earthworks, part of the Newark Earthworks at the World Heritage Celebration. Image courtesy of David Bernstein.

Land Acknowledgement

A land acknowledgment is a statement that runs counter to many historical narratives about the colonization and settling of North America, and it is intended to be provocative.

In some settings and circumstances, it is an act of resistance. In others, it is a statement of support and, well, acknowledgment of the American Indian history of every single place in North America.

It is crucial for each statement to reflect the unique circumstances of each location and personal reflection of the speaker.

To date, The Ohio State University does not have an official land acknowledgement statement. In brief, this means that our university has yet to formally recognize the tremendous amount of territory and other forms of wealth that have been taken from Native Americans over the past several hundred years.

However, there are faculty, staff and students who are currently working to fill that gap. When this happens – and it is when, not if – Ohio State’s land acknowledgement will have four defining features.

1 We will recognize the Tribes who were forcibly removed from their historic homes in service to the founding of the state of Ohio.

Here, we will acknowledge that territories taken from Tribes such as the Delaware, Miami, Ojibwe, Peoria, Potawatomi, Seneca, Shawnee and Wyandotte were used to build Ohio State’s six campuses.

2 We will recognize the Tribes whose land was taken – often through brute force or lopsided treaties – and then sold to raise monies that contributed to the establishment of Ohio State University.

3 We will make certain that the Land Acknowledgement focuses on the past, present and future.

That is, recognizing the past wrongdoings, the present harm that continues to be visited upon American Indians, and the future need for Ohio State to engage in ongoing dialogue and reparative activities associated with these injustices. 

4 We are working directly with Tribal Leaders and community representatives to ensure that Ohio State’s Land Acknowledgement accurately reflects the perspectives, values and traditions of Tribal communities.

Distance view of a tour group on top of the Newark Earthworks. Image courtesy of Timothy E. Black.

Our ongoing mission

Importantly, we acknowledge the first peoples of this land now called Ohio as a call to action - what are our individual and institutional responsibilities towards these peoples and their descendants. What commitments are appropriate?

We are shaping our work one basketful at a time, just as the Ohio River Valley's monumental earthworks were built. We respect, recognize, preserve, celebrate and promote Indigenous peoples and their achievements, past, present and future.

Our work endeavors to reflect our mission and values of ourselves and The Ohio State University with excellence and impact, diversity and innovation, inclusion and equity, care and compassion, and integrity and respect.

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