Land Acknowledgement

The University of Maryland has been working to recognize our past and acknowledge the role our university has played throughout its history in denying access and full participation. An important part of that work is recognizing and respecting that the Piscataway People are the traditional stewards of the lands where we work, live and learn.

The official University of Maryland Land Acknowledgement below was created by a working group of students, faculty and staff who worked closely with Native and Indigenous Elders.

This Land Acknowledgement may be displayed or read aloud at campus events. It is important that this be the only Land Acknowledgement used at the University of Maryland.

Land Acknowledgement

Every community owes its existence and strength to the generations before them, around the world, who contributed their hopes, dreams, and energy into making the history that led to this moment.

Truth and acknowledgement are critical in building mutual respect and connections across all barriers of heritage and difference.

So, we acknowledge the truth that is often buried: We are on the ancestral lands of the Piscataway People, who are the ancestral stewards of this sacred land. It is their historical responsibility to advocate for the four-legged, the winged, those that crawl and those that swim. They remind us that clean air and pristine waterways are essential to all life.

This Land Acknowledgement is a vocal reminder for each of us as two-leggeds to ensure our physical environment is in better condition than what we inherited, for the health and prosperity of future generations.