Land Acknowledgement:

This land acknowledgement invites you to consciously and constantly subconsciously reflect upon the story of the literal and metaphorical soil that holds your home, spirit and cradle. This land acknowledgement invites you to conscionably find ways to treasure one another, to weave lives together, to be an ambassador for uniting the world and not just your neighborhood. We welcome you to start this journey in Nyack and keep sharing it.

Whilst the New York City Commission on Human Rights acknowledges the land politically designated as New York City to be the homeland of the Lenape (Lenapehoking) who were violently displaced as a result of European settler colonialism over the course of 400 years, the original custodians of these same lands continue to bless the soil past, present and future, and are with us in this very moment.

You might reflect upon the impact of innocently insisting an Original Custodian be marked with a stamp upon entering a bar for a social event to ensure venue re-entry, and why they might refuse given generations of "white" person abuse to their people dehumanizing them by branding them as property. You might reflect upon the brilliance of the Original Custodians living in synergy with nature minimizing environmental stressors, and how this wisdom is being borrowed by "white" establishments in research and application.

We welcome you to learn about the land you reside in, and to join us in advocating for the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous people.

You can watch the following video "Ramapo Nation Clan Mother Cynthia Fountain - Growing Up Shaman" to consider further reflections here: