By Claudia A. Fox Tree
Tribal Land Acknowledgements (TLA) are not just land acknowledgments. They need to name the tribal nations, and not just focus on the land. TLAs are about raising the visibility of Indigenous people and Indigenous knowledge. They are one step toward making visible the Indigenous nations that colonizers have made invisible.
We should do them to highlight our own learning process and to share important information about Indigenous nations. That information may be historical or current. They offer an opportunity to publicly recognize that we are on another nation’s land. Think of it like a “national anthem” that recognizes the original nation. They remind us that we owe a debt of gratitude to Indigenous Nations and that we can renew our commitment to learning more and being accountable. They are an opportunity to say aloud what actions we will take since we are on another nation’s land and consider the often fraught historical circumstances.
Colonizers made names invisible, so we can use a TLA as a moment to raise the visibility of names. Names have meaning, and when they are removed, the original meanings disappear. Here are some names I want to share:
We should do them to highlight our own learning process and to share important information about Indigenous nations. That information may be historical or current. They offer an opportunity to publicly recognize that we are on another nation’s land. Think of it like a “national anthem” that recognizes the original nation. They remind us that we owe a debt of gratitude to Indigenous Nations and that we can renew our commitment to learning more and being accountable. They are an opportunity to say aloud what actions we will take since we are on another nation’s land and consider the often fraught historical circumstances.
Colonizers made names invisible, so we can use a TLA as a moment to raise the visibility of names. Names have meaning, and when they are removed, the original meanings disappear. Here are some names I want to share:
- Quinobequin (quin-o-be-quin): the original name for the Charles River means “meandering.” This river is now named after someone who never even saw it.
- Massa-adchu-es-et (Massachusett): Massachusetts is an Algonquin word that roughly translates to “large hill place” or “at the great hill.”
- Agawam: Agawam means “the other side of the marsh” or “low-lying lands.”
- Pawtucket: They are Algonquian-speaking and closely related to the Pentucket to their immediate north. Pentucket translates as “at the bend in the large tidal river.”
- Nipmuc: Nipmuc means “freshwater fishing place.”
- Wampanoag: means “People of the First Light.”
A TLA is a place to state how we will be accountable by adding a statement about our commitment. As someone whose ancestors are from Germany and the Caribbean, and not Indigenous to the lands where I work or live, I consider TLAs as one way to be a “good relative” and an ally to the local Indigenous communities.
As we approach the fourth Thursday in November, which is incredibly meaningful to our Wampanoag neighbors, what do we say? Some people, often Indigenous but also their allies, see this date as a “day of mourning.” Not everyone “celebrates” it. I think about this in the same way I think of cultures that honor days and events that I’m unfamiliar with. For example, one might say, “Happy Rosh Hashanah,” but not “Happy Yom Kipper” because that is a day of atonement. Similarly, “Happy Thanksgiving” isn’t “happy” for everyone. As an alternative that acknowledges an event with compassion, I suggest we use the words "meaningful" and "observance." So, we could say, "I hope you have a meaningful observance." This works across "holidays." For that long weekend, we can say, "I hope you have a meaningful long weekend" or "I hope you get to do something meaningful with the time off."
