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Sacramento State Land Acknowledgment
Sacramento State recognizes that our campus occupies the homelands of Indigenous peoples who have enduring relationships with this land, waterways, and environment. Our land acknowledgment honors their continued presence, recognizes the sovereignty of California Native nations, and affirms the University’s responsibility to build respectful and reciprocal relationships with Native nations and communities.
The acknowledgment was developed through formal consultation with local Tribal nations. We are grateful to the Tribal representatives who shared their knowledge and guided the University in developing language that respectfully represents the Native peoples of this region.
Sacramento State’s Land Acknowledgment
We acknowledge, with respect, the land our campus is on today was, and continues to be, the homelands of the Indigenous people of this area, the Nísem Péwinan, Nisenan, and Miwok. The larger Sacramento area and its rivers serve as a gathering place for many local tribes from the surrounding valley and foothills including the Southern Maidu, Patwin, and Wintun.
We recognize these lands and riverways as unceded traditional territories of these Native peoples. We further recognize these California Native nations and respect their sovereignty. By offering this land acknowledgement, we affirm our commitment to build relationships and foster a university environment of success to better serve Native nations and communities.
Why We Offer a Land Acknowledgment
A land acknowledgment is a formal statement that recognizes that Indigenous peoples have been connected to these lands and waterways since time immemorial and that these relationships continue today. It counters the erasure of Native peoples from the history and present life of the Sacramento region and reminds us that Tribal nations are living, sovereign nations—not only communities of the past.
A land acknowledgment is a beginning, not an endpoint. Its meaning depends on the relationships, learning, and actions that accompany it. At Sacramento State, the acknowledgment reflects our commitment to respect Tribal sovereignty, strengthen relationships with Native nations and communities, support Native students, and advance the University’s responsibilities as a public institution located on Native homelands.
When to Use the Land Acknowledgment
The land acknowledgment may be used when it can be offered with purpose, sufficient time, and a clear connection to the gathering or communication. Appropriate occasions may include:
- University ceremonies and major public events
- Conferences, lectures, performances, and community gatherings
- Significant meetings involving external partners or visitors
- New-student, employee, and faculty orientations
- University webpages, publications, reports, and presentations when relevant to their purpose
- Educational settings in which the acknowledgment supports learning about place, history, sovereignty, or the University’s responsibilities
The acknowledgment does not need to be read at every routine meeting or included automatically in every communication. Repetition without reflection or context can make it feel procedural or performative. Organizers and speakers should consider why it is being offered, what they hope participants will understand, and how the gathering connects to the commitments expressed in the acknowledgment.
How to Offer the Land Acknowledgment
Use Sacramento State’s finalized acknowledgment as written. Do not shorten, revise, or add names without consultation and approval. Preserving the official language helps ensure accuracy and consistency across the University. In addition, this finalized version has been through a process with local California Nations.
Review the acknowledgment before presenting it. Become familiar with its meaning and practice the pronunciation of the names it includes. Do not attempt to pronounce unfamiliar names for the first time while addressing an audience.
Read the acknowledgment at a measured pace and with sincerity. Allow the words to be heard and considered. Avoid rushing through it, presenting it as a requirement to “get through,” or using a tone that makes it sound like a disclaimer.
When appropriate, briefly explain why the acknowledgment is being offered and how it relates to the gathering.
For example:
“Before we begin, I would like to offer Sacramento State’s land acknowledgment. We do so to recognize the Native peoples whose homelands our campus occupies and to reaffirm the responsibilities and relationships expressed in these words.”
Whenever possible, identify a relevant commitment, opportunity, or action. This could include highlighting Native scholarship and leadership, learning about Tribal sovereignty, supporting Native-led programs, attending a campus event, or sharing information about Sacramento State’s Native student services and Tribal initiatives.
A non-Native organization should not ask a Native student, employee, guest, or community member to deliver the land acknowledgment simply because they are Native. Doing so can place an unfair representational and emotional burden on that person. Whenever possible, the person with the highest rank should deliver the land acknowledgement. In addition, it is a statement from the University, after consultation and should be treated as a statement from the University. It would be good if the highest or second highest ranking individual employed by Sac State, present the land acknowledgement.
If a Tribal leader or Native community member is invited to offer remarks, a welcome, or another cultural protocol, that participation should be arranged respectfully in advance and should recognize their time and expertise. Contacting and inviting Tribal leaders to campus events should be done in partnership with the Office of Tribal Affairs.
A land acknowledgment recognizes the Indigenous peoples and homelands of a place. It should not be described as a “welcome to the land” or treated as though the University is welcoming Native peoples to their own homelands. A formal welcome given by an authorized Tribal representative is a distinct practice.
Pronunciation Guidance
Correct pronunciation is an important part of offering the land acknowledgment with respect. Review and practice the names before presenting the acknowledgment publicly. Capitalized syllables indicate emphasis.
| Name | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| Nísem Péwinan | NEE-sim POW-in-non |
| Nisenan | NEE-shih-non |
| Miwok | MEE-wok |
| Southern Maidu | SUH-thurn MY-doo |
| Patwin | PUHT-win |
| Wintun | WIN-toon |
Using the Acknowledgment in Different Settings
Place the acknowledgment near the beginning of the program, after the welcome or opening remarks and before the main content. The speaker should prepare in advance and, when appropriate, connect the acknowledgment to the event’s purpose.
The acknowledgment may still be appropriate when an event is hosted by Sacramento State or centered on the University, even if participants are joining from multiple locations. The speaker may note that participants are gathering from many places while offering Sacramento State’s acknowledgment in recognition of the land from which the University is convening the event.
The full acknowledgment may appear on an opening slide and be read aloud. It should be large enough to read, presented without distracting graphics, and attributed to Sacramento State. If it will not be discussed or read, consider whether including it meaningfully serves the presentation.
Use the full official acknowledgment and link to this webpage for context and guidance. Do not alter the text to fit limited space. If space does not allow for the full acknowledgment, link to this page rather than creating an unofficial shortened version.
Faculty may include the acknowledgment when it is connected to the course and its learning environment. Instructors are encouraged to discuss its meaning and relevance rather than including it only as static syllabus language.
From Acknowledgment to Action
Sacramento State’s commitment to Native nations and communities must extend beyond words. The University continues to build relationships with regional Tribal partners and strengthen initiatives that support Native students, communities, scholarship, and self-determination.
Learn more about:
- Wileety Native American College
- Esak’timá Native Student Resource Center
- Office of Tribal Affairs
- Native American Studies
Members of the campus community are encouraged to continue learning about Tribal sovereignty, the histories and contemporary experiences of California Native peoples, and the Native nations connected to the Sacramento region.
About the Development of the Acknowledgment
Sacramento State’s land acknowledgment was created through a formal process of consultation with local Tribal nations. Tribal representatives provided essential guidance about the peoples, lands, waterways, language, and commitments represented in the acknowledgment.
The University also recognizes the Native students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, and campus advocates whose knowledge, leadership, and sustained advocacy helped bring this work forward.
The land acknowledgment and its accompanying guidance reflect living institutional commitments. Sacramento State will periodically review these resources in partnership with Tribal representatives and campus partners to support their continued accuracy, relevance, and respectful use.
Questions and Support
For questions about using the land acknowledgment, planning an event, or accessing pronunciation resources, contact:
Inclusive Excellence