The University of Minnesota Twin Cities respectfully acknowledges that the land we are on today is the traditional and ancestral homeland of Daḳota people. The University of Minnesota is founded as a land-grant institution and we recognize that our founding came at a dire cost to Daḳota people. Daḳota people were forced to cede their lands in return for goods and services, but the government did not uphold the terms of these treaties, leading to widespread devastation. We recognize this painful past, and we honor Daḳota peoples’ history on this land, their sovereignty, and their continued contributions to our region.
Minnesota comes from the Daḳota name for this region, Mni Sota Maḳoce—“the land where the waters reflect the skies.” Daḳota and numerous other Indigenous peoples, whose cultural, spiritual, and economic practices are intrinsically woven to this landscape, hold this land sacred. We recognize them as original stewards of this land and all the relatives within it, who had thriving and vibrant communities prior to disruption by settlers. Today, the State of Minnesota shares geography with eleven Tribal Nations. By offering this land acknowledgement, we affirm tribal sovereignty and hold the University of Minnesota accountable to recognize and counter the historical and contemporary injustices that continue to impact Indigenous people, through mutually beneficial partnerships, research, policies, and practices that respect Indigeneity.