WFU Indigenous Land Acknowledgement Statement

The following is a guest post from the Intercultural Center:

On November 4, 2019, we celebrated the unveiling and dedication of the Wake Forest University Indigenous Land Acknowledgment plaque honoring the indigenous peoples and tribal nations that call our campus their homelands. This year, we are happy to share a Land Acknowledgment Statement that can be used by all members of the community to open events or gatherings at Wake Forest or affiliated events:

“This statement honors the land on which Wake Forest University now resides and the land on which the original campus resided. This land served for centuries as a place for exchange and interaction for Indigenous peoples, specifically Saura (saw-ra), Catawba (ka-tah-buh), Cherokee (chair-o-kee), and Lumbee (lum-bee) in this location and Shakori (shu-kor-ee), Eno (ee-no), Sissipahaw (sis-suh-pa-hah), and Occaneechi (oak-a-nee-chee) in the original campus location. Today Wake Forest continues to be a place of learning and engagement for Indigenous students, faculty, and staff regionally, nationally, and globally.”

To learn more about land acknowledgements, visit the U.S. Department of Arts & Culture’s “Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgement.”

All are invited to join the Intercultural Center for an iLab Lunch & Learn event on Monday, Nov. 16, titled “Decolonization in Higher Education: What It Means and Why Indigenization Matters.”

Visit the Intercultural Center for a full schedule of events celebrating Native American Heritage Month at Wake Forest University.