Land Acknowledgment
We acknowledge that Brandeis University occupies Massachusett, Nipmuc, and Pawtucket homelands and territories. We recognize that the very existence of our university in Waltham has been facilitated by the dispossession, enslavement, and dispersal of Native communities by settler colonialism. Some of the most devastating policies in the history of U.S. colonialism, like the allotment of Native lands and termination of Native sovereignty, were tested first in New England, in the Massachusetts Enfranchisement and Allotment Act of 1868.
We also recognize that we must repair our relationships with local Native communities and with the land. We affirm that we want to hear Native narratives, build relationships with local communities and organizations, respect Native sovereignty and cultural rights—all with a sense of humility and sincere gratitude.