Land Acknowledgment
The Malhi Molecular Anthropology Laboratory (MMAL) at the University of Illinois is on the lands of the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Piankashaw, Wea, Miami, Mascoutin, Odawa, Sauk, Mesquaki, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Chickasaw Nations
These lands were the traditional territory of these Native Nations prior to their forced removal; these lands continue to carry the stories of these Nations and their struggles for survival and identity. The MMAL acknowledges the peoples of these lands, as well as the histories of dispossession that have allowed for the growth of the University of Illinois for the past 150 years.
We are obligated to reflect on and actively address these histories and the role that this university has played in shaping them. This acknowledgement and the centering of Native peoples is a start as we move forward for the next 150 years.
Adapted from Native American House Land Acknowledgment