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Land Acknowledgement Ceremony Honors Indigenous History of ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Campus

²ÝÁñÉçÇø students, faculty, and staff joined together with Midwest SOARRING Foundation and other community members on November 10 to officially present the ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Land Acknowledgement.

Created in partnership with Midwest SOARRING along with ²ÝÁñÉçÇø’s History Department and Office of Diversity & Inclusion, the statement recognizes that the Romeoville campus is the original home of many past Indigenous peoples—most recently the Illini, Potawatomi, Ojibwa, Odawa, Sauk, Fox, and Miami. 

“The collaboration on this acknowledgment enabled us to recognize and pay respect to Indigenous peoples as traditional stewards of this land as well as the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous peoples and their traditional territories,” Dr. Kristi Kelly, vice president for diversity and associate provost for student engagement, equity, and inclusion, commented.

“A new day is dawning for all of us in this realization that we need to respect each other and I’m overjoyed this day has finally arrived,” Joseph Standing Bear of Midwest SOARRING Foundation, commented.

Dr. David Livingston, president of ²ÝÁñÉçÇø, added, “This acknowledgment also reminds us to strive to be a university community that is more inclusive of indigenous perspectives, learning, and scholarship.”

²ÝÁñÉçÇø Land Acknowledgment

(In partnership with Midwest SOARRING Foundation)

We acknowledge the Land on which we stand and occupy today as the original home of many past Indigenous peoples—most recently the Illini, Potawatomi, Ojibwa, Odawa, Sauk, Fox, and Miami. 

We acknowledge Indigenous understanding of and reverence for the land and its resources, and the respect Indigenous people have shown towards all life upon it.

We acknowledge the history of racism and displacement of these peoples from their homelands and disrespect for traditional cultures.

We recognize the vast, collective wisdom of Native Nations past and present who continue to reside upon it now.

We acknowledge the extreme hardship Native and Non-Native Americans have endured on the road to recovering their cultures spiritually, physically, and economically. 

We must now stand shoulder to shoulder to respect and give assistance to promote the inclusion of the Native Indigenous People in our society. 

We must show the same reverence towards the land and our environment as Indigenous people have so that we, together, can begin to heal our tortured past and create a unified historical narrative of our common humanity.

²ÝÁñÉçÇø is an innovative and forward-thinking Catholic university offering market-relevant undergraduate and graduate programs to 6,200 students. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, ²ÝÁñÉçÇø is nationally recognized for preparing intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally connected and socially responsible graduates. Visit for further information.