CHSS Faculty Instrumental in Land Acknowledgement Agreement

The Land Acknowledgement Committee – a voluntary faculty and staff initiative affiliated with the University Senate – includes faculty and staff from across campus, but CHSS faculty have been particularly instrumental in initiating, consulting, and drafting the statement, as well as organizing activities aimed at raising the consciousness of Indigenous issues on campus.

Jonathan Howell, Linguistics, originally raised the idea of a Montclair State University Land Acknowledgement in the University Senate and then organized and chaired the Land Acknowledgement Committee. Elspeth Martini, History, along with Mark Clatterbuck, Religion, and Chris Matthews, Anthropology,  joined the committee on its formation and took on the role of consulting with NJ’s Native nations about the language of the statement and how it could represent a commitment from our institution to working with and for their communities. Maisa Taha, Anthropology, also contributed to the painstaking drafting process of the agreement.

Though consultations with Native leaders were held up by the pandemic, the Committee managed to finish the agreement in Fall 2021. A soft launch of the statement was held in November, and included a discussion between student moderators and Native leaders. You can watch a recording of the panel discussion on the Digital Commons.

Additional Reading

Read the Land Acknowledgement Agreement

University Senate Releases Land Acknowledgement Statement, February 2022

Montclair State Sheds Light on Native Land Acknowledgment, November 2022