Members of the College of Natural Sciences community represent many backgrounds and host visitors from around the world. In the science community and beyond, many people increasingly start their gatherings with recognition of the Indigenous territory and people connected to our location in Texas.

Land Acknowledgement 

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee would like to acknowledge that we are meeting on the Indigenous lands of Turtle Island, the ancestral name for what now is called North America.

Moreover, (I) We would like to acknowledge the Alabama-Coushatta, Caddo, Carrizo/Comecrudo, Coahuiltecan, Comanche, Kickapoo, Lipan Apache, Tonkawa and Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo, and all the American Indian and Indigenous Peoples and communities who have been or have become a part of these lands and territories in Texas.

Source: The Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at UT Austin

Why? Land acknowledgement is considered:

• an expression of gratitude and appreciation for Indigenous people

• a way of honoring Indigenous people who have been living and working on the land for centuries, and

• useful to shed light on the long-standing history associated with a given place and our roles as individuals and communities within that history.

If you would like to use a land acknowledgement statement, the Department of Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) has provided a downloadable PDF file and a downloadable image. 

Research on your own is helpful. For further reading and learning, check out:

• Learn more about land acknowledgments
• Connect on campus with groups like The Native American and Indigenous Collective (NAIC) at UT
• Read about Indigenous communities in the United States and in Texas specifically.