Native American Initiatives
What is a Land Acknowledgement and how should it be used?
A Land Acknowledgement is a statement to show respect and recognition to the Indigenous People of our community. It is a reminder for all of us, regardless of our identity, to understand our place within the history of this land.
NDSU Land Acknowledgement
We collectively acknowledge that we gather at NDSU, a land grant institution, on the traditional lands of the Oceti Sakowin (Dakota, Lakota, Nakoda) and Anishinaabe Peoples in addition to many diverse Indigenous Peoples still connected to these lands. We honor with gratitude Mother Earth and the Indigenous Peoples who have walked with her throughout generations. We will continue to learn how to live in unity with Mother Earth and build strong, mutually beneficial, trusting relationships with Indigenous Peoples of our region.
How do we use our Land Acknowledgement?
Our Land Acknowledgement may be shared before gatherings, events, or ceremonies and may be included on printed material such as courses syllabi.
All faculty, staff and student groups are welcome to use our Land Acknowledgement when deemed appropriate.
It should be spoken or written in full, and should not be shortened or otherwise altered.
Development of the Land Acknowledgement
A group of Indigenous faculty, staff and students and their allies developed the Land Acknowledgement. The group sought significant feedback from Indigenous people on campus and in the surrounding community. The group consulted the Fargo-Moorhead Native American Commission for feedback on at least two occasions. The statement was finalized in November of 2020 by a committee appointed by President Bresciani.
Support of the Land Acknowledgement
The City of Fargo Native American Commission (NAC) works together to strengthen the Native American community to promote understanding, recognition, and respect for cultures and to enrich the community as a whole. The NAC provided a letter of support of NDSU's Land Acknowledgement statement.
Memorial Union Room Names
To acknowledge the important role of Indigenous cultures in our community and to align with the NDSU Land Acknowledgement Statement, several rooms in the Memorial Union have been re-named. A group of Indigenous faculty and students provided guidance on these name changes and the names better reflect historical accuracy and respect for tribal self-determination. These rooms include:
- The Great Plains Ballroom has become the Oċet̄i Ṡak̄owiɳBallroom
- The Century Theater has become the Anishinaabe Theater
- The Mandan room has become the Nueta room
- The Arikara room has become the Sahnish room
Pronunciations
Anishinaabe Ah-ni-shi-nah-bay Listen>>
Dakota də-ˈkō-tə Listen>>
Hidatsa Hii-dot-sah Listen>>
Lakota lə-ˈkō-tə Listen>>
Nakoda nä-kō-da Listen>>
Nueta New-ayt-ah Listen>>
Oceti Sakowin Oh-chéh-tee Sha-koh-wee Listen>>
Sahnish Sah-nish Listen>>
Grandmother Earth’s Gifts of Life Garden
A new home for NDSU’s Grandmother Earth’s Gifts of Life Garden was dedicated on October 12, 2020. Plans are in progress for the development of the new garden which will be located near the Memorial Wall on the southwest side of campus just before the 12th Avenue bridge. The garden is open and available to Indigenous Peoples and the campus community as a whole and honors and connects campus to Indigenous cultures.
New Beginnings for Tribal Students Initiatives
The New Beginnings for Tribal Students initiatives are funded in part by the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture New Beginnings for Tribal Students grant program. NDSU currently has three awards through the New Beginnings program. To learn more about these initiatives, visit the New Begininnings for Tribal Students Initiatives page.
See below for a presentation by Dr. Ramona Danielson at the NDSU Department of Public Health's Seminar Series in November 2022, which incorporated results from our internal needs assessment that was conducted as part of the New Beginnings for Tribal Student Initiatives.