Land Acknowledgment Statement for Annual Conference in Lansing

As those in the library profession gather to learn and work together, we wish to recognize the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe people who are today represented by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi.

We recognize that the lands around Lansing lie within the ceded territory of the Anishinaabe peoples – Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi – and we honor today the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi as stewards whose heritage connects to this broader region.

To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation, and also a way of honoring the elders and native inhabitants, both past and present, who have lived and worked on the land - beyond memory or recall. We recognize the painful history of genocide, displacement, migration and settlement that brings us together.

MLA is dedicated to improving community relationships and making our organization a more supportive and inclusive place for Native and Indigenous voices and perspectives. We encourage everyone to learn the histories of this land, to look at who has and does not have access to its resources, and to examine your own place, abilities, and obligations within this process of reparative work that is necessary to promote a more equitable and socially just world.

To show our commitment, MLA has added Indigenous resources and the history of this region on our event website and will provide a small donation to the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi.

Through these small actions, MLA will continue to recognize and support the sovereignty of Michigan’s Indian nations and Indigenous Peoples when we gather to learn and work together.