City Council Meeting Date: November 17, 2020
To: Mayor & City Council
City Administrator
From: Beth Kallestad, Program Coordinator
Title
Consider Resolution Adopting Land Acknowledgement Statement.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council is asked to adopt the attached resolution which includes language for a Land Acknowledgement Statement to be used by the City of Northfield.
Summary Report:
At the February 13, 2020 Human Rights Commission (HRC) meeting, the members discussed a proposed draft of a land acknowledgement statement, which was developed by a group of community members, that could be recommended to City Council for official use. A subcommittee of HRC was assigned to finish this work and make a recommendation to City Council for the March 10, 2020 City Council Meeting. The resolution provided to Council was not adopted. Council shared some language suggestions for revisions to the statement and asked for more education on this topic to help aid in their decision making process.
On August 4, 2020 the HRC provided a presentation to Council with more background and education on the topic of land acknowledgement statements. Additionally, a summary document was provided which was written by Professor Meredith McCoy from Carleton College for the Human Rights Commission, July 9, 2020 meeting. That document is also provided tonight.
The HRC met on August 13 and September 10 and continued discussion on this topic and supported the following statement:
We stand on the homelands of the Wahpekute and Mdewakanton Bands of the Dakota Nation. We honor with gratitude the people who have stewarded the land throughout the generations and their ongoing contributions to this region. We acknowledge the ongoing injustices that we have committed against the Dakota Nation, and we wish to interrupt this legacy, beginning with acts of healing and honest storytelling about this place.
Adoption and use of a Land Acknowledgement Statement is also h...
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