Land & Territorial Acknowledgement
WAN’s Land Acknowledgement
The lands of Washington, DC that the Women’s Aquatic Network occupies have been cared for by First Nations People since as early as 9,500 BCE. First Nations People crossed the Allegheny Mountains and settled in the Potomac River valley due to the abundance of fish in the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers as well as wildlife in the surrounding woodlands. The land of present-day Montgomery County and Washington, D.C. is most closely associated with the Nacotchtank Tribe who lived on the Maryland side of the Potomac River.
Deriving their characteristic name from an Algonquian term meaning “town of traders,” the Nacotchtank tribe used their proximity to the rivers to trade with other First Peoples near and far, including as far north as trading with the Iroquois of New York.
The Nacotchtank Tribe was part of a larger, loose confederation of tribes known as the Piscataway Chiefdom. The Nacotchtank people paid tribute to the Piscataway Chief or “Tayac,” and this association provided the Nacotchtank and surrounding tribes protection from the rival Powhatan Chiefdom in Eastern Virginia.
In 1608, English colonists set off from Jamestown to explore the regions along the Potomac River, bringing them in contact with the Nacotchtank People. While initial interactions were peaceful, tensions eventually increased, and due to increased land demand for cash crop farming, Europeans began to encroach on Nacotchtank tribal lands. This proximity introduced foreign diseases into tribal communities to which the Nacotchtank people had no immunity. Decreasing numbers forced the remaining tribal members to retreat to Anacostine Island (known today as Theodore Roosevelt Island). Eventually, tribal members sought the protection of the Piscataway Chiefdom. The remaining members of the Nacotchtank people were absorbed into the larger Piscataway Tribe.
Today, the Piscataway Tribe is active in the state of Maryland. There are two major groups that have formed to represent the Piscataway Tribe: the Piscataway Indian Nation and Tayac Territory, and the Piscataway Conoy Tribe (further subdivided into Piscataway Conoy Confederacy and Sub-Tribes and Cedarville Band of Piscataway Indians). On January 9, 2012, both the Piscataway Conoy Tribe and the Piscataway Tribe were recognized by the State of Maryland via executive order.
The Women’s Aquatic Network acknowledges that the land on which we host our events was, and is, still inhabited and cared for by the Piscataway Conoy and Piscataway tribes. We are grateful for their past and continued stewardship of this land. The Piscataway and Piscataway Conoy tribes, especially their children, have powerful voices that have often been silenced throughout history.
The influences of the Piscataway Chiefdom are felt today. The Anacostia River takes its name from the latinized name of the Nacotchtank people (mispronounced as “anacostine” by Jesuits from the Providence of Maryland). River Road and Wisconsin Avenue were created from trails woven into the land by First Nations People. Please connect with and learn more about the tribes and their current goals via their websites Piscataway Conoy Tribe and Cedarville Band Of Piscataway Indians.
What is the land acknowledgment or territorial statement?
An Indigenous Land Acknowledgement or Territorial Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples and current-day Indigenous institutions of a place. These statements often recognize people who have been dispossessed from homelands and territories. They do not exist in a past tense or historical context. Acknowledgments should be a verbal statement given at the beginning of a program or event or visually presented such as on an institution’s website. They should be specific and local.
These acknowledgments are important for many reasons particularly because of the systematic and forceful displacement and genocide of Indigenous peoples as well as the intentional and ongoing erasure of many voices and truths. The practice of Indigenous Land Acknowledgements in recent years both in the United States and Canada has grown significantly. There are many resources available to help create appropriate language, celebrate Indigenous communities in a present and meaningful way, and go beyond “optical allyship”.
Intent vs Impact
It is important to note that a Land Acknowledgment is just a starting point in supporting Indigenous communities. It is important to dedicate time, perform research and consider several questions when preparing an in-depth acknowledgment. It’s also important to think about your intentions and actions beyond just your words. Resources below contain additional ways to avoid trends and empty words and focus on strategies that center and support Indigenous communities.
EDUCATION & Resources:
The above information was comprised from the guidance of many sources highlighted below. I encourage readers to explore these resources, share additional resources, and contribute as a conversation in the comment section below.
Guide To Indigenous Land And Territorial Acknowledgments For Cultural Institutions can help guide you through drafting a general land acknowledgment statement
A guide to Indigenous land acknowledgment, Native Governance Center, https://nativegov.org/a-guide-to-indigenous-land-acknowledgment/
If you aren’t sure which community or communities to acknowledge, please use this searchable map, https:Native-Land.ca, as a great initial resource
Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang's article, "Decolonization is Not a Metaphor" can help to contextualize this practice within a larger decolonization framework
If you would like to do a more intentional acknowledgment, try setting your intentions with the land before beginning your scientific work.
Finally, to encourage a shift from empty words to action to move Beyond Land Acknowledgements, use the Native Governance Center's new article series focused on strategies to move beyond land acknowledgment statements.
Furthermore, if you are reading this and wish to be in Right Relations with the Piscataway Peoples, RETURN THE LAND and pay land tax in true acknowledgment of you living on their bodies as a colonizer. Here are a few key links:
Official linktree: https://linktr.ee/paylandtax
Official website: https://www.piscatawayindians.com/ (link also included in linktree)
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearedcsfirst/ (link also included in linktree)
WAN Resource (coming soon)
We invite you to post this flyer in your workspace (virtual and in-person) to help spread awareness and reflection on WAN’s place in relation to the land its situated on. You can download, print, and post the images below: