Territory acknowledgment

We should take a moment to acknowledge the land on which we are gathered for the LSA Summer Institute. For thousands of years, this land has been the home of Patwin people, including the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation today. The Patwin people have remained committed to the stewardship of this land over many centuries. It has been cherished and protected, as elders have instructed the young through generations. We are honored and grateful to be gathered here today on their traditional lands.

“Acknowledgment by itself is a small gesture. It becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationships and informed action. But this beginning can be an opening to greater public consciousness of Native sovereignty and cultural rights, a step toward equitable relationship and reconciliation.”

-U.S. Department of Arts and Culture

The acknowledgment was prepared in consultation with local Indigenous communities and is the recommended and preferred statement to read at the LSA Institute. We acknowledge and thank the Patwin People, whose stories, traditions and spiritualities were tied to this land, for allowing us to live and breathe on their lands. The 2019 LSA Institute recognizes that raising awareness is just the first step to inspire people to think about the impacts of our actions, what they have become for us to be here, and how we could learn from them. We also realize that honoring the truth fosters a sense of responsibility for all of us to learn more about the people whose lands we live on, wherever we come from. The Institute is committed to creating a warm and respectful learning environment, acceptive of diversity, and inclusive of Indigenous ways of knowing and being.

The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages to draw attention to the critical loss of indigenous languages and the urgent need to preserve, revitalize, and promote them at the national and international levels.

The 2019 LSA Institute will highlight the importance of indigenous and endangered languages in expressing diverse cultural identities, communicating unique perspectives on the world, and sustaining linguistic communities. The Institute will offer several courses (listed below), events (including the lectures, workshops, and symposia listed below), and social gatherings that bring indigenous and endangered languages and the scholars who work on them to the forefront.

Courses:  

Lectures, Workshops and Symposia: 

You can click here for more information on the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages.