Land Acknowledgement
Why doesn't KU have a One University land acknowledgement?
The University of Kansas has taken steps to actively listen to our Native community and leaders about our commitment to the Native and Indigenous community. Many have expressed complex feelings about the institution having a blanket land acknowledgement statement that covers all KU campuses, while others view land acknowledgements as positive Native representation at KU.
As such, the Chancellor’s Office and the Office of the Provost have followed the lead of the Office of Sovereign Partnerships & Indigenous Initiatives (OSPII) in exploring ways that KU can demonstrate a commitment to Native and Indigenous people through both words and - more importantly - actions.
To learn more about developing a land acknowledgment, utilize the toolkit on OSPII’s Constructing Land Acknowledgements in Kansas webpage.
Campus-Specific Land Acknowledgements
The University of Kansas Medical Center acknowledges that the Kansas City campus resides on the traditional homelands of several tribal nations, including the Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Washtáge Moⁿzháⁿ (Kaw/Kansa), 𐓏𐒰𐓓𐒰𐓓𐒷𐒼𐓂𐓊𐒻𐓆𐒻𐒿𐒷𐓀𐒰^𐓓𐒰^ (Osage), Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Dakota, Lakota, Nakota), Shawnee, and Waⁿdát (Wandat/Wyandot/Wyandotte/Huron) peoples.
In addition, we recognize the sovereignty of the four federally recognized tribes in Kansas: the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska, and the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska.
Consistent with KU Medical Center's commitment to creating and maintaining access, ensuring respect, promoting success, and fostering a sense of belonging for our learners, employees, patients, and community partners, KU Medical Center honors the traditions, histories, and contributions of all Native American communities.
We acknowledge our commitment to Native and Indigenous populations to honor their historical and continued kinship with the land, water, and living and non-living relatives within the place we now call Kansas. Their presence in Kansas has been complex and includes the stewardship of their ancestral and traditional homelands, being displaced here due to resettlement, or traveling through this region due to forced removal. At this time, we have intentionally chosen not to name tribes; instead, we support University-wide efforts that prioritize relationship building and honoring tribes’ agency as part of an institutional land acknowledgment.
We conceptualize this commitment as a living draft and look forward to refining it as we continue to learn and grow in our understanding. As we operate within our dedication to action, we renew our understanding that Native and Indigenous People exist here in the present. We acknowledge and honor our Native students, staff, and faculty through our commitment to and support of the Office of Sovereign Partnership & Indigenous Initiatives as well as associated organizations on campus. We are deeply committed to building and strengthening our relationships with community members who have chosen to be here for various reasons, including the University of Kansas, Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence Public schools, family, and community.
We call upon members of our community to reflect upon their relationship to Native and Indigenous people on our campus and beyond. We encourage one another to begin the work of self-education and engagement.
The University of Kansas Medical Center acknowledges that the Salina campus resides on the traditional homelands of several tribal nations, including the Washtáge Moⁿzháⁿ (Kaw/Kansa), 𐓏𐒰𐓓𐒰𐓓𐒷𐒼𐓂𐓊𐒻𐓆𐒻𐒿𐒷𐓀𐒰^𐓓𐒰^ (Osage), Nʉmʉnʉʉ Sookobitʉ (Comanche), Pâri (Pawnee), and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Dakota, Lakota, Nakota) peoples.
In addition, we recognize the sovereignty of the four federally recognized tribes in Kansas: the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska, and the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska.
Consistent with KU Medical Center's commitment to creating and maintaining access, ensuring respect, promoting success, and fostering a sense of belonging for our learners, employees, patients, and community partners, KU Medical Center honors the traditions, histories, and contributions of all Native American communities.
The University of Kansas Medical Center acknowledges that the Wichita campus resides on the traditional homelands of several tribal nations, including the 𐓏𐒰𐓓𐒰𐓓𐒷 𐒼𐓂𐓊𐒻𐓆𐒻𐒿𐒷𐓀𐒰^𐓓𐒰^ (Osage), Gáuigú (Kiowa), Wichita, and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Dakota, Lakota, Nakota) peoples.
In addition, we recognize the sovereignty of the four federally recognized tribes in Kansas: the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska, and the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska.
Consistent with KU Medical Center's commitment to creating and maintaining access, ensuring respect, promoting success, and fostering a sense of belonging for our learners, employees, patients, and community partners, KU Medical Center honors the traditions, histories, and contributions of all Native American communities.