The Pride Alliance strives to work toward racial justice and decolonization. Part of that work includes reading a Land Acknowledgement before programs and gatherings. This Land Acknowledgement was written in collaboration with the UNT Native American Student Association. More information about their organization can be found on the UNT NASA website.

Land Acknowledgement

Before we begin I would like to read a land acknowledgement. Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory we reside on, and a way of honoring the Indigenous people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. It is important to understand the long existing history that has brought us to reside on the land, and to seek to understand our place within that history. Land acknowledgements do not exist in a past tense, or historical context: colonialism is a current ongoing process, and we need to build our mindfulness of our present participation. It is also worth noting that acknowledging the land is Indigenous protocol. We would like to open our event today by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the occupied/unceded/seized territory of the Wichita and Caddo Affiliated Tribes. These tribes have stewarded this land throughout the generations and we would like to pay our respects to elders, both past and present.