What is a Land Acknowledgment?

According to the Native American and Indigenous Initiative, "A Land Acknowledgment is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories" (n.d.).

We acknowledge that we are on the ancestral lands of Indigenous Peoples from time immemorial

These communities have long established extensive networks that include all forms of life and their connections across various regions. Through treaties, executive orders, and statutes, colonizers of this continent have taken land and resources from Indigenous peoples and the natural world. We honor those who endured forced removal, relocation, and genocide.

Today, the resilience, sovereignty, and resistance of Indigenous Peoples continue to support the 567 federally recognized and 63 state-recognized tribes of American Indian, Native American, Alaska Native, and Indigenous communities, whether they reside on tribal lands, in rural areas, or in urban centers.

Jacob's Ladder Therapies is located in San Jose.

This land is the territory of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe and Tamien Nation Peoples, who have stewarded this land for hundreds of generations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to live and work here.

We are committed to serving Indigenous communities by challenging the "doctrine of discovery," highlighting the true history of the Indigenous communities who have always been here, utilizing a trauma-informed, decolonized, and intersectional approach to practice, and taking steps to repair and strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities and the land they steward.

Adapted from Dr. Hamilton-Mason’s Land Acknowledgement for Simmons University