DMA Land Acknowledgment
The Danforth Museum of Art is situated on the common ancestral homelands of Siouan, Salish, Shoshone, and Algonquian Peoples whose ancestors forged a universal sign language and have shared this place since time immemorial. Seasonal bison migration to and from the abundant natural resources of the Elk River region made for fertile hunting ground and a traditional place for First Peoples to gather for ceremony and to trade, share stories, and maintain kinship ties.
We respectfully acknowledge and honor all Native communities—past, present, and future—for their enduring care and stewardship of the land and waterways of the Earth. We recognize with regret the oppressive history inflicted upon—and the continued dispossession of—Indigenous Peoples and animals from this land by European and American colonization. We appreciate with gratitude ancient Native wisdom—our fundamental connection to the grass, wind, and water—knowledge long disdained and dismissed, yet crucial for healing and for nurturing future generations.
We are committed to Indigenous rights, social justice, and cultural equity, and we aspire to educate and foster inclusive relationships through exhibits and programs in collaboration with others. We view this acknowledgment as a step in an ongoing process of understanding our role in addressing injustice and promoting social change in this community, and in the greater landscape that is our world.
Special thanks to Dr. Shane Doyle, Apsáalooke, for his time, insight, and guidance in helping compose the DMA land acknowledgment.
What is a Land Acknowledgment?
A land acknowledgement is the practice, written or oral, of honoring the Indigenous caretakers of the land one presently occupies. Most lands are, in effect, unceded territories. They were, in one way or another, stolen by colonizers. Thus, land acknowledgments are intended to address the consequences of settler colonialism. A land acknowledgment is meant to inspire us and others to support Native communities and recognize the resilience Indigenous communities have demonstrated through 500+ years of oppressive occupation.
Why make a Land Acknowledgment?
Gives us an opportunity to consider ways to heal
Helps counter the existing narrative that promotes Indigenous erasure
Provides a means to carry forward a message to future generations of respect and inclusion
Initiates a process, not an end
Why is a Land Acknowledgment Important?
A land acknowledgment is a first step in [the long overdue task of] decolonization and reconciliation with Native peoples. A Land Acknowledgment is a living document. A land acknowledgment—if done with honesty and with an open mind and heart—will of necessity be unique because each institution or organization or person not only has a particular relationship to a specific place, but each place has a singular story to tell about the inhabitants—the people, animals, plants, rocks, water, wind—that inform its history and its nature.
A living land acknowledgment—meaning a document that we live by—is not just a superficial exercise of making our selves feel better. Rather, it is a starting point that can prompt dialogue, encourage research, and shed light on a colonial past, the ramifications of which are still very much alive and evident today.
A living land acknowledgment asks us to consider if we are demonstrating our commitment to change through our actions. Beyond posting a plaque or reciting a token declaration, authenticity involves building long-term, mutual relationships with Indigenous communities. Authenticity includes inclusion of Native voices in our exhibitions and programs, and prioritizing consultation with Indigenous Peoples for accurately depicting and communicating Native history and present day lived experiences. A living land acknowledgment can lead us to reexamine our understanding and expand our knowledge of what it means to be Indigenous in today’s cultural landscape.