“We acknowledge that we are gathered on the ancestral lands of many tribal nations who made their home here and/or traveled the Columbia River seasonally. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Umatilla, and the Yakama Nation have a strong relationship to this region as do the Confederated Tribes of Siletz, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Chinook Tribe.” 

You acknowledge that you’re inhabiting the ancestral lands of six federally recognized tribes.

I acknowledge that my ancestors traveled and traded on these lands for millenniums, where traditions were created and ended.

“In Tigard-Tualatin we are situated on traditional Atfalati (Tualatin) Kalapuya lands. These lands were stolen by the federal government for settlers traveling the Oregon Trail long before they were legally ceded under deceptive and coercive conditions, first in the unratified treaty of 1851 and then in the ratified Willamette Treaty of 1855. Much more can be learned from the K-12 curriculum written by local tribal leaders, which we are implementing in our district.”

You acknowledge that TTSD is on traditional Atfalati (Tualatin) Kalapuya lands that were stolen by the federal government for settlers traveling the Oregon Trail, and that Senate Bill 13 is in the process of being implemented in classrooms. 

I acknowledge how my grandmother, aunties, uncles, cousins, and my father know very little of our native language. How my relatives have been struggling with substance abuse, teen pregnancy, type two diabetes, and tokenization of the very little benefits we get due to colonization. The generational trauma that I carry is with me for every step I take, for every breath I breathe, and for every second I’m awake. 

“We solemnly reflect on the genocide and displacement of families and relatives. We commit ourselves to dismantling ongoing practices of settler colonialism and moving forward towards tribal sovereignty and reconciliation. We humbly look to Indigenous leadership on Indigenous lands.”

You acknowledge that you are checking off a box.

I acknowledge that I’ve been tokenized as a “personal google” who has been told to talk about their culture in front of their entire class and school board in regards to Senate Bill 13. I’ve been asked to read the TTSD land acknowledgement by staff too many times at various events and assemblies to the point where I can say it in my sleep. And yet, how come my “no’s” turn into “maybe’s” with a staff member?I’m glad that this land acknowledgment is becoming more of a living document. I acknowledge that sometimes it takes checking off a box as a first step, but it’s not the last. I am not someone to tokenize about my generational trauma and reconnecting journey.