A New Acknowledgement
May 27, 2024 | Posted in Uncategorized | By Alexandria Searls
We have an updated land acknowledgement, thanks to the Native American History class of Charlottesville’s Renaissance School. Dr. Kate Avakian, who is the Native History faculty and an enrolled member of a state-recognized tribe, worked with her students to revise our acknowledgement. We were extremely happy to work collaboratively with the students and Dr. Avakian, within the context of a valued and ongoing relationship with Dr. Avakian and the school.
Here is the student-crafted statement about the process: Renaissance School’s Native American History class, which is part of Renaissance School’s rich history program, researched and collaborated to draft the current version of the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center’s land acknowledgment. Students found this experience to be informative, iterative, and eye-opening, as we spent considerable time researching the Monacan Indian Nation. The Monacan Indian Nation originally occupied the land on which the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center stands and the land on which Renaissance School stands. The class aimed to accurately reflect and acknowledge the history of displacement and disposition that the Monacan people faced and the current relationship between the Monacan Indian Nation and the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center.
Many thanks to everyone involved. You can find the new acknowledgement on our About page, and also here:
We acknowledge the Monacan Indian Nation, the people who occupied and stewarded the mountains, fields, and rivers of Charlottesville, including where the Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center now stands. We actively seek to listen to Native people about the Lewis & Clark Expedition and its impact on the Native people of this area, as well as Native peoples from other communities, to develop a more expansive understanding of the true impact of the expedition. With respect and humility, we acknowledge the Monacan Indian Nation’s elders and knowledge-keepers of the past, present, and future.