A Land Acknowledgment is a statement that recognizes an area’s original inhabitants who have been forcibly dispossessed of their homelands and is a step toward recognizing the negative impacts these communities have endured and continue to endure, as a result. It honors the First Peoples and recognizes the connection with the land, their continued reciprocal stewardship of the lands and waters, and their ongoing work to preserve and protect the land.

Acknowledgment is a first step toward correcting the misinformation and harmful practices that erase the history and culture of the First Peoples. When done properly, a formal land acknowledgment can be an opening to greater public consciousness of Native American sovereignty and a move toward creating equitable relationships and beginning reconciliation with the First Peoples.

In recent years, the County has been active in both uplifting the histories of what is now known as Los Angeles County and prioritizing equity for communities countywide. The County is also committed to actively engaging in repairing relationships and restorative collaboration with Native communities.

The Countywide Land Acknowledgment, which was adopted by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (Board) in November 2022, is intended to center the First Peoples by highlighting their strength, resilience, and continued contribution to the greater Los Angeles County community. It makes clear that the First Peoples are still here, and they have not left their ancestral lands.

Representatives from local Tribes also shared their hope that the Countywide Land Acknowledgment could positively impact outcomes by keeping local Tribes and the American Indian and Alaska Native community at the forefront during County decision-making processes.

On June 23, 2020, Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis introduced a motion, co-authored by former Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, to adopt the Countywide Cultural Policy, which was unanimously adopted by the Board. The Cultural Policy calls for the County to “identify ways to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land at County public events and ceremonial functions and celebrate the contributions of culture bearers and traditional arts practices of diverse communities.” Beginning in October 2021, the County, through the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission (LANAIC) and the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture (Arts and Culture), embarked on a process to gather input to its understanding of the history of the region’s First Peoples and the harms that have been perpetuated and to gather input on the development of a formal land acknowledgment for the County.

From November 2021 to June 2022, Arts and Culture, the LANAIC, and its consultant team conducted extensive outreach to 22 California Native American Tribes (Tribes), with generally five tribal affiliations, that have ties to the Los Angeles County region, as identified by the State of California Native American Heritage Commission.

The following Tribes appointed a representative to participate on a working group to contribute recommendations, guidance, and historic and cultural information that would inform the development of a formal land acknowledgment for the County:

• Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians
• Gabrielino Tongva Indians of California Tribal Council
• Gabrieleno/Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians
• San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
• San Fernando Band of Mission Indians

One Tribe – the Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians – Kizh Nation (Kizh) – contacted the LANAIC and requested a separate process. The Kizh were provided an opportunity to review the draft Countywide Land Acknowledgment ahead of the Board motion to adopt it.

While all five tribal affiliations for the First Peoples were listed in the adopted Countywide Land Acknowledgment, only the present-day names of the Tribes who participated and specifically expressed support for the Land Acknowledgment were listed. At this time, only read the Tribes as listed in the adopted Countywide Land Acknowledgment. As the County continues engagement with local Tribes, more names of present-day Tribes may be added.

All public facing County meetings and events should include a verbally delivered Countywide Land Acknowledgment. A good rule of thumb is to include it at any meeting or event that also includes a performance of the National Anthem, flag salute, or recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Countywide Land Acknowledgment should be a prominent agenda item at the beginning of the meeting or event, ideally as the first item.

The Countywide Land Acknowledgment should be verbally delivered by the highest-ranking staff member of the host Department, agency, or organization, or an elected County official who will be giving opening remarks.

Its delivery should not be pre-recorded. Delivery should be prepared through a reflective and intentional process to understand past and ongoing harms, as well as to learn about the First Peoples in the present day. Delivering the Countywide Land Acknowledgment should be motivated by genuine respect and support for local Tribes and American Indian and Alaska Native people. The land acknowledgment provides the opportunity for the speaker to do their own research and to take something from the statement that teaches them how to be a better visitor on the land.

It is not appropriate to ask a representative from a local Tribe, Native American, Alaska Native, or Indigenous Person to deliver the Countywide Land Acknowledgment. The Countywide Land Acknowledgment is a commitment from the County to the First Peoples and their descendants and it should be delivered by a representative of the County to fulfill its intended purpose.

It’s always a good idea to practice in advance of verbal delivery. Review the County’s audio guide to ensure you know how to pronounce each term and tribal name correctly. These resources may be accessed on the Countywide Land Acknowledgment webpage.

Place-based land acknowledgments are highly supported by the representatives of local Tribes that participated in the development of the Countywide Land Acknowledgment. However, to avoid perpetuating harms caused by colonial boundary setting, the County will not create or distribute a map dictating tribal and ancestral boundaries.

Developing a place-based land acknowledgment must be created intentionally and thoughtfully, and it requires a meaningful outreach process with proper resourcing, time, and cultural sensitivity. If your Department would like to develop a place-based land acknowledgment, consider the following:

• Contact the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) to request a tribal consultation list for the specific location/place.
• Contact all tribal representatives listed on the NAHC list to invite them to participate in the development of a place-based land acknowledgment. You should offer at least a month (six weeks is the preferred minimum) to respond and plan to follow up multiple times. Consider reaching out via email, physical mail, and phone.
• Note that Tribes are often working with limited resources and may not have capacity to participate in the way you originally planned. Develop a process that can be flexible and adaptable to the needs of all interested Tribes.
• Plan to compensate tribal participants for their time, energy, and knowledge.
• Ensure the place-based land acknowledgment does not invalidate or contradict the adopted Countywide Land Acknowledgment.