Land Acknowledgement
Minnesota Music Teachers Association Land Acknowledgement
The Minnesota Music Teachers Association was created by and for the keepers and stewards of artistic and cultural traditions.
Mni Sota Makoce, or Minnesota, is the homeland of the Dakota people. The Dakota have lived here for many thousands of years. Anishinaabe people reside here, too, having migrated to their current homelands that have the food that grows on water -- manoomin, or wild rice. Indigenous people from other Native nations also reside in Minnesota and have made innumerable contributions to our region.
Our organization's office is in Bloomington, not far from Bdoté, the place where the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers meet. Bdoté and Bde Wakan, or present-day Lake Mille Lacs, are central to Dakota creation stories.
We acknowledge that what we call Minnesota is occupied land. We are able to be here because our ancestors took this land by force. Let's reflect on the land, air, and water we enjoy, and the confluence of legacies that bring us to stand where we are. Let's commit to engaging in critical reflection and conversation within our communities.
The Minnesota Music Teachers Association pays tribute to the people of our Native nations, and especially to their musical and artistic traditions. We are grateful for their continued stewardship of our places of power.
The On Being Project
https://onbeing.org/land-acknowledgment/
Native Governance Center
with gratitude to Doug Rohde and Shannon Wettstein Sadler