North Clackamas
School District
Native Land Acknowledgement in North Clackamas
The practice aims to demonstrate respect and encourage relationships with Native and Indigenous communities
Native American land acknowledgments come from indigenous traditions as a way to show respect for indigenous and native peoples and to recognize their enduring and continuing relationship as stewards of the land that was theirs from time immemorial.
An authentic and co-created land acknowledgment is also a public and respectful recognition of indigenous and native communities and a way to make present their histories and stories that have often been minimized or erased. Such acknowledgments also inspire ongoing action and relationships.
In the fall of 2018, members of the North Clackamas Native Parent Advisory met with district staff and local Native Elder and writer Ed Edmo (Shoshone-Bannock) to begin crafting a Land Acknowledgement for the school district. Since the Native Parent Advisory completed the Native Land Acknowledgement, NCSD has used it to honor Native community members and to recognize the ongoing contributions Native and Indigenous peoples have in North Clackamas.
The North Clackamas School District Native Land Acknowledgement:
We acknowledge the land on which we sit and which we call the North Clackamas School District rests on the traditional and indigenous lands and village sites of the Native peoples of the Kalapuya, Chinook, Molalla, and the Clackamas. We take this opportunity to offer gratitude for the ability to learn, work, and be a community on this land, and we offer thanks to the original caretakers of this region. We recognize the historic policies of colonization, genocide, relocation, and assimilation that affected Indigenous and Native families both past and present and that will affect those in the future, and honor the resilience and revitalization of our Indigenous and Native communities. We pay our respects to the Elders, both past and present, who have been the stewards of this land throughout the generations.
Did you know?
The Portland Metro area represents the 9th largest urban Native population in the United States, made up of the descendants of more than 380 tribes. Oregon has nine sovereign Native American nations:
- Burns Paiute Tribe
- Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
- Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon
- Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
- Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
- Coquille Indian Tribe
- Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians
- Klamath Tribes
At this link, you can access an interactive map of historical Native tribes, languages, and treaties produced by Oregon State University.
We strive to make communication easy to understand and equitable for all of our students, families, and staff across our district. We are constantly trying to create better resources district-wide and below you will find helpful resources.
If you have any concerns or need assistance with any navigating these resources please email us