Native artists designed these free posters to #HonorNativeLand
If you’ve been to a public event lately, you might have heard speakers begin by acknowledging the indigenous nation upon whose land they are standing. It’s been common practice in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand for years, but acknowledging indigenous lands at public events is still somewhat new for the United States.
It’s time to #HonorNativeLand at all public events, and step toward truth & reconciliation. Start here: https://t.co/K0wygJEQNR pic.twitter.com/kqLshzSb5J
— US Department of Arts and Culture (@usartsdept) October 3, 2017
The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture recently commissioned several Native artists to design posters as part of the #HonorNativeLand project, to encourage businesses, organizations, and individuals to learn about and respect the history of the indigenous nations where they are located. The artists are Bunky Echo-Hawk (Pawnee/Yakama), Marlena Myles (Spirit Lake Dakota/Mohegan/Muscogee), Keith BraveHeart (Oglala Lakota), and Bryan D. Parker (Muscogee/Choctaw/White Mountain Apache).
The posters are free to download, and they are AWESOME. Each poster has a space to fill in the name of the indigenous nation where it will be hung.
The time is long overdue to open all events w/acknowledgment of traditional Native inhabitants. #HonorNativeLand https://t.co/cChaqEIOJE pic.twitter.com/KP1VVXQBt3
— Katherin Canton (@streetscapes_KC) October 3, 2017
Spirit Lake Dakota/Mohegan/Muscogee artist Marlena Myles wrote in a Facebook post,
"Many Americans live in cities and states which are words in the indigenous languages of surrounding tribes. Do you know what language you speak when you talk about your home?"
These posters will help you answer that question, and they will help spread awareness of the many indigenous nations that were and are on the land that is now the United States of America.
In an interview with HelloGiggles, Myles said,
"Even if your ancestors arrived in relatively recent years, it's important to recognize the indigenous population that lived here. Many people do get the sense that the relationship between land and the indigenous peoples is very important. However, many people don't treat the environment in a way that benefits future generations, like Native tribes have done for millennia."
What #SacredLand do you stand on? #HonorNativeLand by respectfully acknowledging ancestral lands- learn how @ https://t.co/K0wygJEQNR pic.twitter.com/aoEOEIvWD5
— US Department of Arts and Culture (@usartsdept) October 3, 2017
“Knowing the indigenous tribes of one’s area is one small step towards reconciliation between indigenous people and non-indigenous populations,” she continued. “There’s so much going on in the world that people may not find this issue important, but one small change can lead to a thousand positive changes over time.”
#HonorNativeLand
