What is a Land Acknowledgement?
A land acknowledgement is a statement, written or proclaimed, that recognizes and shows respect to past and present inhabitants of a particular place. They are typically in a local context and aim to honor the injustices inflicted upon Indigenous communities. Land acknowledgements are meant to be a starting place, a first step in challenging Indigenous erasure. In stating a land acknowledgement, we are recognizing the colonial history of our city/state/country that was built on oppression, slavery, and genocide (the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group).
Chase Brexton Health Care Land Acknowledgement
At Chase Brexton Health Care, we acknowledge that we work, serve, and live on the ancestral land and waters of the Piscataway, Susquehannock, Choptank, and Ozinie tribes in a region we know as Baltimore and the surrounding areas where Chase Brexton is located. We recognize the colonial oppression of this land and the forced removal and genocide of its ancestors. We honor the lives and histories of our past inhabitants whose voices were silenced through enslavement and exploitation. We recognize that these lands and this city are home to many tribal nations including the Lumbee and Cherokee tribes. We believe in the care and stewardship of our communities, our people, land, animals, and nature we share life with. We recognize the intersection, entwined history, and oppression of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) ancestors and those living today as we work to heal past and present injustice and inequity.
