Land Acknowledgment Statement

Land Acknowledgment

Emory University acknowledges the Muscogee (Creek) people who lived, worked, produced knowledge on, and nurtured the land where Emory’s Oxford and Atlanta campuses are now located. In 1821, fifteen years before Emory’s founding, the Muscogee were forced to relinquish this land. We recognize the sustained oppression, land dispossession, and involuntary removals of the Muscogee and Cherokee peoples from Georgia and the Southeast. Emory seeks to honor the Muscogee Nation and other Indigenous caretakers of this land by humbly seeking knowledge of their histories and committing to respectful stewardship of the land.

Purpose of Our Land Acknowledgment

It is important to understand the historic and continuous relationships between Indigenous people and the land on which Emory is located, where we all learn, teach, and reside. A Land Acknowledgment Statement seeks to acknowledge meaningful relations in connection with Indigenous Peoples who call the land home. It also aims to show respect and gratitude to Indigenous Peoples. 

It is a statement that recognizes the ongoing Indigenous presence within our community and beyond, one that expresses a commitment and concrete actions to address harm and live in good relations with Indigenous Peoples who are connected to this land.

Origins of the Land Acknowledgment

Beginning in 2017, students, staff, and faculty at Emory led a process to research and develop this Land Acknowledgment in collaboration with Muscogee scholar and now-retired Emory Professor Craig Womack. The initial recommendation came from Indigenous scholars who convened at Emory during the 2018 Native American Student Initiative gathering.

When to Use This Land Acknowledgment

The Land Acknowledgment can be spoken (or written) at the beginning of university ceremonies, performances, and/or conferences. It is appropriate to use the statement when an Indigenous scholar will speak, perform, or join as an invited guest by any campus department or office. University faculty, staff, and student organizations are welcome to use the acknowledgment in classes and as part of websites or other informational materials that concern the campus community. If you are inviting an Indigenous guest for a campus event, or centering Indigenous concerns, please consider sharing your plans, and any questions they engender, with these advisers. 

Using the Land Acknowledgment