Land Acknowledgement
As we gather for the 2025 annual ARHE/ARS/AAPG conference in the city that is now known as New Orleans, we acknowledge the rich history of this land. Prior to European colonization, this land was an important Indigenous trade hub on the Mississippi River for thousands of years, known as “Bulbancha,” or “place of many tongues,” and was an epicenter of diversity and commerce. It is the traditional homelands of the Houma, Choctaw, and Chitimacha peoples, and has been a gathering place for many others over the centuries, including the Atakapa, Caddo, Natchez, and Tunica peoples.
We acknowledge that this city, like many others, was largely built by forcibly removing Indigenous peoples from the land and constructed using stolen African labor and resources. This painful history continues to impact our Black and Indigenous neighbors today, and it is only through this acknowledgement that we can begin taking the first steps towards respecting and honoring those who have come before us; those who have cultivated relationships with and been caring stewards of this land that gives us life.
We gather from many places to exchange knowledge and resources, just as Indigenous peoples have done so on this land since time immemorial. As we do, it is with deep gratitude that we are given the opportunity to learn, to laugh, and to celebrate scholastic recovery in this space.
Resources
We encourage you to take the time to learn more about the history of this land and the peoples who have inhabited it, both here in New Orleans, and wherever you may go in the future. See below for some resources to get started, though we encourage you to explore more resources as well.
- Native America Tribes of Louisiana
- Bulbancha
- Sovereign Nation of the Chitimacha
- United Houma Nation
- Jena Band of Choctaw Indians
- The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana
- New Orleans African American Museum
Pronunciations**
Atakapa [a-tuh-ka-puh]
Biloxi [buh-luhk-see]
Bulbancha [bull-ban-chah]
Caddo [kad-oh]
Choctaw [chaak-taa]
Chitimacha [chi-tee-maa-chuh]
Houma [how-muh]
Natchez [natch-uhz]
Tunica [too-ni-kuh]
**These pronunciations guidelines are based on online dictionary phonetics and may be Anglicized from it’s original pronunciation.
What is a Land Acknowledgement?
A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories.
Why do we recognize the land?
To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory you reside on, and a way of honoring the Indigenous People who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. It is important to understand the long-standing history that has brought you to reside on the land, and to seek to understand your place within that history.
Land acknowledgements do not exist in a past tense, or historical context: colonialism is a current ongoing process, and we need to build our mindfulness of our present participation. It is also worth noting that acknowledging the land is Indigenous protocol.
For more information on the process of creating a Land Acknowledgement, please see the resources below:
- A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement (via Native Governance Center): A suggested process and tips for creating an intentional statement.
- Native Land Digital: A worldwide map of Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages across the world.
- Practice the pronunciations of Native, Indigenous, and Tribal Nations. There are many resources online to assist with this and often audio clips or videos with examples.