Land Acknowledgment

As healers and Priestexxes working magic on this land we want to acknowledge that we are occupying the traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco-Wishram, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin (Atfalati) Kalapuya, Molalla and many other tribes who made their homes along the Columbia and Willamette rivers and into the Cascade Mountains.

Today people from these bands have become part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, as well as the Chinook Nation and Cowlitz Nation in Washington state.

We thank the descendants of these tribes for being the original stewards and protectors of these lands since time immemorial. 

We also acknowledge the systemic policies of genocide, relocation, and assimilation that still impact many Indigenous/Native American families today.

Land acknowledgments are one small part of disrupting and dismantling colonialism. They are the beginning of the conversation. You may want to get in touch with local Indigenous nations or organizations to build relationships and support their work. It is often a good idea to educate yourself as you reach out to indigenous groups.

You may also want to take direct action in supporting local tribes and by paying reparations. 

Thank you to the Portland Indian Leaders Roundtable and the PSU Indigenous Nations Studies Program for the language used in this acknowledgment. We also thank NAYA for holding an evening conversation opener about this topic.