Land Acknowledgement 

The University of Illinois System – with its universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield – rests on the land of multiple native nations. These lands were the traditional birthright of indigenous peoples who were forcibly removed and who have faced two centuries of struggle for survival and identity in the wake of dispossession. We hereby acknowledge the ground on which we stand so that all who come here know that we recognize our responsibilities to the peoples of that land and that we strive to address that history so that it guides our work in the present and the future.

The Land Acknowledgement Statement below can be utilized as a respectful public acknowledgement of the traditional guardians of the land at events or gatherings, either by the host of ceremonies or a designee.

Land Acknowledgement Statement

I/We would like to begin today by recognizing and acknowledging that the U of I System carries out its mission in its namesake state, Illinois, which includes ancestral lands of the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Piankashaw, Wea, Miami, Mascoutin, Odawa, Sauk, Mesquaki, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Chickasaw Nations. ​We have a responsibility to acknowledge these Native Nations and to work with them as we move forward as a vibrant, inclusive institution.

Pronunciations:
Peoria (Pea-Or-E-ah)
Kaskaskia (Kahs-KAHS-kee-ah)
Piankashaw (Pea-AN-kah-shah)
Wea (Way-ah)
Miami (My-Am-E)
Mascoutin (Mah-SCOH-tin)
Odawa (Oh-DAH-wah)
Sauk (SAH-uk)
Mesquaki (Meh-skw-AH-kee)
Kickapoo (KICK-a-poo)
Potawatomi (Pot-tah-WAH-tah-mee)
Ojibwe (Oh-JIB-way)
Chickasha (Chi-KAH-shah)

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Land Acknowledgement statement 

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