[0:04] - [Bradley] It's easy to overlook [0:05] the deep-rooted history beneath our feet. [0:08] - [Yvonne] In today's fast-paced world, [0:10] it's easy to take the land for granted. [0:12] - [Beth] Robbinsdale Area Schools is changing that. [0:15] The district recognizes and honors the land it calls home. [0:19] More specifically, Robbinsdale Area Schools [0:22] recognizes the Dakota and Ojibwe people [0:26] and their stewardship of this land, [0:28] long before settlers first set foot in this place. [0:32] Land acknowledgements are a humble gesture of respect [0:35] and an act of acknowledging [0:37] the traditional and ancestral lands upon which we stand. [0:41] - [Bradley] By recognizing this history, [0:43] we honor the resilience and knowledge of indigenous peoples [0:46] who have preserved their cultures, [0:48] despite a tumultuous history of colonization. [0:51] Land acknowledgements like Robbinsdale's [0:53] encourages us to come together as a community, [0:56] fostering a sense of unity and empathy towards each other, [1:00] and the environment we share. [1:02] - Together, let us acknowledge the land and honor the people [1:05] who have been its guardians for centuries. [1:08] - May this simple act pave the way for a deeper connection [1:11] to our shared history and a more equitable world. [1:15] - The Robbinsdale Area Schools Land Acknowledgement. [1:19] We acknowledge Robbinsdale Area Schools [1:21] is located on the homelands of the Dakota and Ojibwe people. [1:25] - [Beth] We recognize the painful history of genocide [1:28] and forced assimilation [1:30] of the indigenous inhabitants of this land. [1:33] We honor and respect the many indigenous people [1:36] who live on and hold sacred these lands, [1:38] and we stand with members of these nations [1:41] to fight injustice in all its forms. [1:44] - [Bradley] We uphold the preservation [1:45] of Dakota and Ojibwe languages, [1:47] land-based education, and tribal sovereignty. [1:57] - [Beth] The land acknowledgement is posted and displayed [1:59] in all of the buildings, but it goes deeper than that. [2:02] It's learning about the actual history of our people. [2:06] - In order to honor the language in the statement, [2:09] they have to create a plan of action. [2:12] So with schools, for example, [2:14] it's one thing to say that [2:16] this land was at one point [2:18] a Native American or indigenous land, [2:21] but if it stops there [2:22] and they don't learn about the indigenous arts, [2:26] the indigenous economies, [2:27] the indigenous societies that were here, [2:31] it almost doesn't do a service for the acknowledgement. [2:33] - [Yvonne] We didn't have a lot of [2:34] Indian education programs growing up, [2:37] so we didn't know much about our culture. [2:39] It's just that, you know, we went to our reservation [2:41] and seen when we attended pow-wows and gatherings and such. [2:44] I just think that if we're acknowledging [2:47] what's going on today through education, through curriculum, [2:50] that it would help, you know, spark the interest more. [2:52] - The history in the state of Minnesota [2:55] is really understanding what happened to the Dakota people [2:58] and the exile and some of those hard, really hard stories [3:03] that really shaped Minnesota as we know it, [3:07] and when we understand that history, [3:09] that's just one small way to pay homage to [3:12] what our Dakota and Ojibwe people, [3:16] the work and contributions that we do [3:18] as indigenous people goes on. [3:21] - I want to pass on hope to the next generation, [3:25] and in doing so, they won't have to go through the fights [3:29] that we've had to go through over the past few decades [3:31] and the ancestors had to go through [3:33] over the past couple hundred years. [3:37] - [Beth] I think a land acknowledgement is a beginning, [3:41] and when I think of how far we've come, [3:43] it just warms my heart because now this is out there [3:47] and it makes me think of what else the future can hold [3:51] and how we can change our history going forward. [3:55] For more information, visit our website, [3:58] rdale.org/landacknowledgement.