We stand on the homelands of the Wahpekute and Mdewakanton* bands of the Dakota Nation. We honor with gratitude the people who’ve stewarded the land through the generations and their ongoing contributions to this region. We acknowledge the ongoing injustices that we have committed against the Dakota Nation, and we wish to interrupt this legacy, beginning with acts of healing and honest storytelling about this place.

What is land acknowledgement?

Land acknowledgement is a formal statement from a city, province, state, institution of higher education, or other cultural institution that affirms and recognizes the Indigenous peoples of a particular place and their historic, ongoing, and future relationships with those lands and waters.

Carleton finalized its land acknowledgement statement in November 2020 through participation in a joint task force with the City of Northfield and St. Olaf College. Special recognition goes to St. Olaf Associate Professor of English Joan Hepburn, who wrote the land acknowledgement that the task force adopted and these institutions are now using.

Learn about Indigenous Engagement at Carleton, including programs supported by the Indigenous Engagement in Place initiative and the work of our Indigenous Communities Liaison.

Gould Library Research Guides

Additional Resources

June 9, 2021: Former president Steve Poskanzer talks about and reads the Carleton College Land Acknowledgement