Land Acknowledgment Statement of the UCSF Department of Surgery
Native Americans are still here! Not just in the romanticized past, or in a troubled present where stereotypes of Indians abound (alcoholics, living only on reservations, stoic spiritual leaders, casino owners).
California has the largest Native American population in the country – a shocking statistic to most people. Why are land acknowledgments important? They recognize the past and present of Native American culture. They invite all of us to think about the ways in which we benefit from settler-colonialism. They inspire action by reminding us that colonization happened and is still happening. They counter the "doctrine of discovery" with the true story of the people who were already here. They create public awareness of the history and ongoing presence of indigenous people.
Land acknowledgments are offered to open meetings, ceremonies, lectures, or any other public event. The most basic acknowledgment can be very simple, naming the Native peoples of the land you occupy. A land acknowledgment does NOT need to be given by a Native person, but it does need to be offered in relationship with indigenous people and with the recognition that our shared goal is to give land and resources back to tribes.
This land acknowledgment that will precede our Grand Rounds and other public events was created in partnership with the UCSF Native American Health Alliance, the Association of Native American Medical Students, and Ramaytush Ohlone elders.
We are one of the only UC campuses that doesn't have a land acknowledgment, and it's time that we change that! We are grateful for the support of Drs. Julie Ann Sosa, Andre Campbell and Sanziana Roman in making this a reality.
Before we begin, we would like to acknowledge the Ramaytush Ohlone people, who are the traditional custodians of this land. We pay our respects to the Ramaytush Ohlone elders, past, present, and future who call this place, the land that UCSF sits upon, their home. We are proud to continue their tradition of coming together and growing as a community. We thank the Ramaytush Ohlone community for their stewardship and support, and we look forward to strengthening our ties as we continue our relationship of mutual respect and understanding.
We would like to recognize all the hard work on this that Dr. Tasce Bongiovanni put in to make this land acknowledgment happen. She can be contacted for any questions regarding the land acknowledgement: [email protected].