Salem State University Land Acknowledgement
The land occupied by Salem State University is part of Naumkeag, a traditional and ancestral homeland of the Pawtucket band of the Massachusett. We acknowledge the genocide and forced removal of the people of Naumkeag and their kin and we recognize the ongoing colonization and dispossession of Indigenous homelands. We respect and honor the Massachusett tribe and the many Indigenous Peoples who continue to care for the land upon which we gather. We recognize our own responsibility to this land we occupy. We commit to continuously learning and sharing its history and that of the Massachusett and other Indigenous People who have been and remain here. We commit to develop and implement initiatives that work toward repairing the injustices continuously being committed on the Indigenous People of this land. We commit to making our own environmental impact on this land as sustainable as possible. We commit to a renewed and ongoing engagement with the Massachusett and all Indigenous People in and around Salem State.
Recommendations for Using the Land Acknowledgement
Verbal Land Acknowledgment
At major University events, the first three sentences of the Land Acknowledgment will be read. The full Land Acknowledgment may be read if the event organizers prefer.
A verbal Land Acknowledgment may be read at the first full meetings of departments, contract committees, and courses and any event hosted by any group on campus. The Land Acknowledgment should be read at moments when it can be heard and considered. It is not recommended to rotely read the Land Acknowledgment at the start of every class, meeting, etc. unless there is an express reason to do so.
Written Land Acknowledgment
On the University’s major academic publications, the full Land Acknowledgment will be printed. On all other University publications and in email signatures, the first sentence of the Land Acknowledgment may be printed at the discretion of the individual or the group preparing the publication. For electronic publications using the first sentence of the Land Acknowledgment, it is recommended to link to this page for the full Land Acknowledgement and additional information.