At the Democratic National Committee’s annual summer meeting in Minneapolis, a land acknowledgment was made during the opening session. Lindy Sowmick, treasurer of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and self-described “Indigenous queer woman,” delivered the statement after being introduced by DNC Chairman Ken Martin.
“Let’s talk about the land for a second,” Sowmick said. “The DNC acknowledges and honors the Dakota Oyate – the Dakota people – who are the original stewards of the lands and waters of Minneapolis. The Dakota cared for the lands, lakes and the Wakpa Tanka – the ‘Great River,’ the Mississippi River – for thousands of years before colonization. This land was not claimed, or traded – it’s a part of a history of broken treaties and promises. And, in many ways, we still live in a system built to suppress Indigenous peoples’ cultural and spiritual history.”
Sowmick also encouraged members of her party to view this land acknowledgment as more than “the checking of a box.”
The statement is part of a broader practice among some organizations to recognize indigenous histories connected to locations where events are held. This practice has become more common at political gatherings and other public events.
