Land Acknowledgement Statement

We at Andersonville Mindfulness & Psychology gratefully acknowledge that we work and live on the ancestral and unceded (stolen) lands of the Three Fires Council – the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe), Odawak (Odawa), and Bodéwadmik (Potawatomi) Nations – as well as the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac, Fox, Kickapoo, and Illinois Nations. Today, this land continues to be the home of one of the largest urban Native American communities in the United States.

We strive to work in a way that reflects the importance of interconnectedness and community while acknowledging the ways we benefit from and contribute to oppressive systems. We are committed to using our power and privilege to mitigate harm where we can. This requires recognizing our roles’ limitations and supporting those better positioned than us to make specific impactful changes. In community, we remain committed to addressing cultural inequality, discrimination, privilege, and capitalism, both within larger systems and within ourselves to make space for dialogue and growth.

Resources:

American Indian Center of Chicago – The American Indian Center of Chicago was founded in 1953 to provide a community and resources for Native Americans who had relocated to Chicago after the enactment of the U.S. government’s relocation program. The AIC provides a place for urban Native Americans to connect, with a focus on providing services such as cultural classes and events, senior lunches, and programs for Native youths.

Mitchell Museum of the American Indian – Founded in 1977, The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian is an Evanston-based museum featuring indigenous art exhibits, storytelling and music events, and informational talks.

Native Land Digital – This Canadian nonprofit aims to provide education and create conversation with their interactive map showing focusing on Native American and First Nation tribal territories, treaties, & languages, but includes worldwide indigenous populations. Resources on their website include a teacher’s guide and links to their app.

Three Fires Council – Historically, the Three Fires Council is a collected alliance of the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe), Odawak (Odawa), and Bodéwadmik (Potawatomi) Nations who were based in and around the Great Lakes and Chicago area. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the three tribes were connected for hundreds of years through trade networks, and shared cultural practices and the Algonquian language.

“‘We’re Still Here’: Chicago’s Native American Community” – This WTTW article by Daniel Hautzinger provides a history of the Chicagoland Native presence before and after Europeans’ arrival and the struggles Natives faced when relocated from reservations to urban areas. The article also features the work being done at the American Indian Center of Chicago.