By presidential proclamation, November is Native American Heritage month, a month to remember the contributions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives and to honor the unique heritage of our continent’s first inhabitants.
Over the last five years, the Puyallup School District has started all administrative and Principal Professional learning trainings with a Land Acknowledgment. As a District, we understand the importance of acknowledging the Puyallup people, whose land settlers took in the treaty of Medicine Creek. We are committed to cultivating relationships with our local tribal community, educating our students on Native American history and perspectives, and, most important, supporting students who identify as native Americans.
The Duwamish Tribe reminds us that land acknowledgment is not a new practice, but a traditional custom dating back centuries for many Native communities and nations. For non-Indigenous communities, land acknowledgement is a powerful way of showing respect and honoring the Indigenous Peoples of the land on which we work and live. Acknowledgement is a simple way of resisting the erasure of Indigenous histories and working towards honoring and inviting the truth. This almost 2-minute video is an example of that.