The Tribal acknowledgements of The Evergreen State College is a living document that will be reviewed annually and may be updated as language and other factors change.
Evergreen's acknowledgements are geographically based upon the precise location of Evergreen's two locations on the two named Tribes' specific lands, respectively. These acknowledgements may be combined when an event is for the whole College and encompasses both locations. The acknowledgements conclude by making a broader inclusive statement, meant to signal that in our community of students, staff, and faculty that many Tribes may be represented.
We have adapted a system of acknowledgements rather than a single one for the following reasons:
- We use words provided by the Tribes themselves
- We focus our acknowledgement on the specific land where we are
- We broaden to more and other Tribes when we discuss a broader range of interactions with the College
Our intent is that these acknowledgements be something campus community members consider for themselves, rather than being a series of recited words that lose their meaning. We at The Evergreen State College know that developing relationships with Tribes and opening doors for Tribal citizens at our college is an on-going commitment.
Tribal Acknowledgement for both Olympia and Tacoma locations of The Evergreen State College
The Squaxin Island Tribe’s habitation of the land on and around the inlets of the Southern Salish Sea, including what is now the City of Olympia and here at The Evergreen State College spans thousands of years. The ancestral families who lived and thrived here: They named Budd Inlet Steh-Chass, and they named Eld Inlet where the campus is located Squi’Aitle. Today, the Squaxin Island Tribe continues to live on and steward the lands and waters of the Southern Salish Sea.
We acknowledge the Squaxin Island Tribe as it continues to live on and steward these lands and waters.
We acknowledge that we are on the traditional homelands of the Puyallup Tribe. The Puyallup people have lived on and stewarded these lands since the beginning of time, and continue to do so today. We recognize that this acknowledgement is one small step toward true allyship and we commit to uplifting the voices, experiences and histories of the Indigenous people of this land and beyond.
We respect and acknowledge the Squaxin Island and Puyallup Tribes, and other Tribes across the Americas, and their many contributions to The Evergreen State College (in support of education, Tribal sovereignty, environmental stewardship). This acknowledgement is one small step toward respect and collaboration with the aim of uplifting the voices, cultures and histories of the Tribes of these lands and waters.
Acknowledgement of the Squaxin Tribe for the Olympia campus of the Evergreen State College
We gratefully acknowledge and honor the Squaxin Island Tribe, upon whose traditional homelands the Evergreen State College Olympia campus is situated. For thousands of years, their ancestral families lived and thrived here. They named Budd Inlet Steh-Chass, and Eld Inlet where the campus is located Squi’Aitle. Today, the Squaxin Island Tribe continues to live on and steward the lands and waters of the Southern Salish Sea.
We also gratefully acknowledge the Puyallup Tribe whose traditional lands Evergreen’s Tacoma Campus is located upon.
We respect and acknowledge the Squaxin Island and Puyallup Tribes, and other Tribes across the Americas, and their many contributions to The Evergreen State College (in support of education, Tribal sovereignty, environmental stewardship). This acknowledgement is one small step toward respect and collaboration with the aim of uplifting the voices, cultures and histories of the Tribes of these lands and waters.
Acknowledgement of the Puyallup Tribe for the Tacoma location of The Evergreen State College
We gratefully acknowledge that we are on the traditional homelands of the Puyallup Tribe. The Puyallup people have lived on and stewarded these lands since the beginning of time, and continue to do so today. We recognize that this acknowledgement is one small step toward true allyship and we committee to uplifting the voices, experiences and histories of the Indigenous people of this land and beyond.
We also gratefully acknowledge the Squaxin Island Tribe whose lands and waters Evergreen Olympia campus is located upon.
We respect and acknowledge the Squaxin Island and Puyallup Tribes, and other Tribes across the Americas, and their many contributions to The Evergreen State College (in support of education, Tribal sovereignty, environmental stewardship). This acknowledgement is one small step toward respect and collaboration with the aim of uplifting the voices, cultures and histories of the Tribes of these lands and waters.
Acknowledgement for events that occur in other locations
We respect and acknowledge the (here state the local Tribe where you are) and the Squaxin Island and Puyallup Tribes, and other Tribes across the Americas, and their many contributions to The Evergreen State College (in support of education, Tribal sovereignty, environmental stewardship). This acknowledgement is one small step toward respect and collaboration with the aim of uplifting the voices, cultures and histories of the Tribes of these lands and waters.
Additional notes on our Acknowledgements
The acknowledgement is a tool that students, staff, and faculty may use at key events and at the start of classes. It is not required.
When referencing our two campus locations, we will use the language:
- For Olympia, “We are located on the lands and waters of the Squaxin Island Tribe….”
- For Tacoma, “We are located on the traditional lands of the Puyallup Tribe….”
We say lands and waters of Squaxin Island because the campus includes the shared coastline on the Salish Sea. We do not say waters in the Puyallup reference because our footprint of our Tacoma location does not include the coastline.