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Madison Metropolitan School District

Land Acknowledgement Ceremony

District administrators were joined by Ho-Chunk elders and leaders of federally recognized indigenous tribes for a land acknowledgment ceremony Monday, April 25.
 
This historic ceremony honored the ancestral land now known as Madison as well as the original inhabitants, the Ho-Chunk people, for whom this area was known as Teejop, or Four Lakes.
 
This project, called the Land Acknowledgement Plaque Project, was started by two MMSD high school students, Marena Fox Baker and Isa Saiz. Both are leaders of Native American Student Associations at East and West high schools, and led the charge to have plaques installed at Madison schools to acknowledge the Ho-Chunk people as the area’s original inhabitants and to better incorporate Indigenous history into the district’s curriculum.
 
The Land Acknowledgement ceremony is the first to be held by a public school district in Wisconsin. The ceremony included speakers from the Ho-Chunk Nation and other officials, the exchange of gifts, drums, and the presentation of a plaque to be installed at MMSD schools.

"Our commitment is to not just learn about Indigenous people, but with you and from you."
- Superintendent Carlton D. Jenkins, Ph.D.

Watch the Ceremony

Land Acknowledgement Plaque

The Great Seal of the Ho-Chunk Nation

It is with great respect that our school acknowledges and celebrates the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation and the 11 Indigenous First Nations within what is now referred to as the State of Wisconsin. The land you are standing on is the sacred ancestral land of the Ho-Chunk People. Our school will continue to grow and build upon our partnerships with the Ho-Chunk Nation and all First Nations.

people attending the land acknowledgement ceremony
three land acknowledgement visitors
group of student attendees at a table
Two people at the land acknowledgement ceremony
land acknowledgement attendees
happy land acknowledgement attendees
people getting ready for the land acknowledgement ceremoney
flag presentation
land acknowledgement
land acknowledgement drummers
attendees saluting a flag
land acknowledgement speech
land acknowledgement drummer
attendees shaking hands at the land acknowledgement cremony
A view of the land acknowledgement crowd
land acknowledgement speaker on stage
land acknowledgement attendees listening
land acknowledgement audience
Speakers colorful dress
land acknowledgement speakers
Students talking at the land acknowledgement ceremony
Lisetning to land acknowledgement speakers
student speaker giving a speech
Ali Muldrow's baby
Watching speakers on stage
presenters shaking hands
student in a blanket
presenting a blanket to a speaker
presenters hugging
MMSD Family sign
Ali Muldrow on stage
dr. jenkins on stage
Attendee giving a speech
dr. jenkins listening to a speech
speaker on stage
Presenter talking about the land acknowledgement
Audience listening to a speach
Audience view of the ceremony
Shanking hands on stage
Table Center Piece
Audio/Visual production by M.O.D. Media Productions LLC