A Land Acknowledgement serves to name the Native peoples who through political structures, war, or other exploitation suffered hardship and were made to be invisible. It helps us to respect the ongoing presence of tribal peoples in our communities and the debt of gratitude we owe them.
Land Acknowledgement – Marywood Campus
This land on which we stand is gift of the Great Spirit’s creation and the ancestral home of the Anishinaabe: the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Bodewadmi tribal peoples* of the Three Fires Confederacy.
These indigenous tribes lived on, built a relationship with the earth as they cared for creation’s gift. Land acres now known as Michigan were stolen from Indigenous Peoples through misunderstood treaties, broken promises, and forced removal.
We lament the violence caused by past actions of encampment and displacement. We apologize for these wrongs and prayerfully support and value Native American peoples and their ancestral homeland.
We strive to understand our debt to native peoples and realize the importance of restoring relationships with the Anishinaabe Nations. We are committed to an ongoing effort to repair harm done and continue discernment with Indigenous communities about right relationships.
* Names now in common usage are Ottawa, Ojibway, also called Chippewa, and Potawatomi.
Abbreviated Version
We acknowledge this land on which we stand is gift of the Great Spirit’s creation and the ancestral home of the Anishinaabe: the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Bodewadmi tribal peoples* of the Three Fires Confederacy.
Land acres now known as Michigan were stolen from indigenous peoples through misunderstood treaties, broken promises, and forced removal. We strive to understand our debt to native peoples, realize the importance of restoring relationships with the Anishinaabe Nations, and are committed this ongoing effort.
* Common names: Ottawa, Ojibway, also called Chippewa, and Potawatomi
Note: Our land acknowledgement was updated January 22, 2026 by Dominican Sisters & Associates of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
What is a “Land Acknowledgement”?
A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement given at the beginning of organized events or celebrations which recognizes the Indigenous people who built a sacred relationship with the earth in this place before settlers colonized the land. It serves to name the Native peoples who through political structures, war, or other exploitation suffered hardship and were made to be invisible. It helps us to respect the ongoing presence of tribal peoples in our communities and the debt of gratitude we owe them.
Who may use a “Land Acknowledgement”?
Anyone speaking or meeting on the Marywood Campus is encouraged to use the Land Acknowledgement at the start of a program. The Abbreviated Land Acknowledgement may be used at the end of an e-mail by a writer working “on this land”.
