Native American Land Acknowledgment

Land acknowledgment is a traditional custom that dates back centuries in many Native nations and communities. Today, land acknowledgments are used by Native peoples and non-Natives to recognize Indigenous peoples who are the original stewards of the lands on which we now live and work. (National Museum of the American Indian)

The Library of Congress has developed its own land acknowledgment statement with input, guidance and consultation from Native organizations and institutions. Library employees may choose to use one of several variations on the statement above when introducing a program, giving a presentation, signing an email message or letter, or publishing a paper or article. Use of these statements is optional and voluntary for Library of Congress staff.

Background on Developing the Library’s Land Acknowledgment Statements

In developing the language for this land acknowledgment statement, the Library of Congress wishes to convey that the Library respects and serves all Indigenous peoples throughout the entire nation.

At the same time, we especially acknowledge those Native Nations historically and presently situated in the immediate region where the Library provides its services, defined as encompassing the main campus of the Library adjacent to the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall, and also Library satellite locations and facilities in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.

The use of the term “diversity” in the statement refers to those of the many sovereign Native Nations who have been present in the territory that is now the United States since time immemorial. The term is also inclusive of Indigenous persons who originate from across modern international boundaries and who make vibrant lives in our region and urban life today.

With the statement, the Library also seeks to emphasize the acknowledgment of Native peoples as the traditional custodians of lands and cultures pre-dating the Library’s settler colonial presence and the Library’s current mission of service.

The acknowledgment also refers to the unique shaping of our location by adjacent waterways, which have long been used, respected, and known to Native people as sources of livelihood and means of migration, interaction, and travel, and which originate in and connect to other regions while defining the land mass on which the U.S. capital city and the Library of Congress are positioned.

In formulating this statement, a working group studied land acknowledgment statements in use by other cultural institutions and consulted with regional Indigenous authorities and Native American librarians and cultural representatives.

Further Resources

Native Nations/Tribal Community Websites

• American Library Association Indigenous Tribes of Washington, D.C. https://www.ala.org/aboutala/indigenous-tribes-washington-dc
• Manahoac/Monacan https://www.monacannation.com/our-history.html
• Nacotchtank/Anacostan https://native-land.ca/maps/territories/nacotchtank-anacostan/
• Pamunkey https://pamunkey.org/
• Piscataway Conoy/Piscatawa https://www.piscatawaytribe.org/

Select Resource Guides to Native American Collection Materials at the Library of Congress

• "Many Nations: A Library of Congress Resource Guide for the Study of Indian and Alaska Native Peoples of the United States." A hard copy of this multi-divisional guide is available in many Library of Congress reading rooms. You can find it as an online resource at  https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/003140184
• "American Indian Law: A Beginner’s Guide." https://guides.loc.gov/american-indian-law
• "Joy Harjo Research Guide." https://guides.loc.gov/poet-laureate-joy-harjo
• "Native American History and Culture: Finding Pictures" from the Prints and Photographs Division. https://guides.loc.gov/native-american-pictures
• "Native American Resources in the Manuscript Division." https://guides.loc.gov/native-american-manuscript/
• "Native Americans: Resources in Local History and Genealogy." https://guides.loc.gov/native-americans
• "Native American Resources from the Rare Book & Special Collections Division." https://guides.loc.gov/native-americans-rare-materials
• "Native American Spaces: Cartographic Resources at the Library of Congress," Geography and Map Division. https://guides.loc.gov/native-american-spaces
• "Willing to Serve: American Indians." Interviews from the Veterans History Project. https://aj.sunback.homes/vets/stories/ex-war-nativeamericans.html

More Information About Land Acknowledgments

The National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, offers advice to those wishing to frame and use land acknowledgment statements:

• Land Acknowledgments as a Tool Towards Social Justice in Your Classroom
• Honoring Original Indigenous Inhabitants: Land Acknowledgment