OIC Land Acknowledgement

What is a land acknowledgment statement?

A land acknowledgment serves as a formal declaration that is commonly delivered at the commencement of public gatherings and events. Its purpose is to acknowledge and pay tribute to the land on which the Institution stands, while also recognizing the Indigenous communities who have historically and presently maintained connections with their ancestral territories. This statement aims to honor the deep-rooted relationships that Indigenous peoples have fostered with their homelands throughout history.

OIC of Washington Land Acknowledgment

We are headquartered, physically in Yakima, which rests on the ancestral lands of the fourteen Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The people of the Yakama Nation inhabited more than 12 million acres across Adams, Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Yakima Counties. Today, we honor those native peoples who are tied to the land through history, legends, and culture. We acknowledge their descendants who live in the world today. We thank the caretakers of this land, who have lived here and continue to live here since time immemorial.

We acknowledge the legacy of slavery and oppression in our region. From the enslaved African people to the continued exploitation of migrant communities of Asian, Pacific Islander, Latinx and other BIPOC communities whose labor was exploited for generations to help establish the economy of our region and the United States, specifically the production and harvest of surplus crops and land cultivation.

This acknowledgment is enacted to show respect and is a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture. It also honors the truth. As a community action agency, we will continue to build upon our relations with the Yakama Nation. 

Click HERE to learn more about Land Acknowledgement.

Posted February 09, 2024