Have you come to feel that land acknowledgements are impotent with not enough measurable action?

I feel it, too, and now believe that the feeling is not the whole story.

As children, many began our mornings reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, unaware that the state was conditioning us. Now, by reciting a Land Acknowledgement, we are breaking free from that conditioning and transforming ourselves.

Although Indigenous Peoples Day is not recognized as an official holiday in most U.S. states, it is still observed nationwide and is an official holiday in various Latin American countries and Canada. It is important to recognize the numerous injustices that Native Peoples of North America and throughout the hemisphere have faced, both in the past and present, for more than five centuries.

In Santa Barbara, located on the California Central Coast, the Chumash people are an integral part of our community. As the First Peoples of this land, they have flourished as a maritime culture, cherishing the coastline's breathtaking beauty. Despite facing challenges in achieving their cultural, economic, and political self-determination, the vibrant Chumash community continues to honor and preserve their heritage and traditions today, like all Native peoples of North America.

As the Moore family, we typically host events for our family and guests, but once the event ends, everyone goes back to their own homes. However, with the Chumash, they are the hosts, and their guests stay on unceded land. In my household, we acknowledge that having legal title to our property does not necessarily equate to having moral ownership, as we sometimes say "Diane and I may have legal title, but that doesn't mean we have moral title."

The American flag is a symbol of national pride for many individuals, however, it is important to acknowledge that it can also be viewed as a symbol of aggression towards Indigenous peoples and their allies.

The Chumash live on occupied land, taken from them by force, through a well-documented and shameful government-sanctioned mass genocide. Native peoples in the U.S. continue to experience the worst poverty, unemployment, and some of the highest rates of COVID-19 deaths. 

Still, rather than seeking reparations, Indigenous peoples ask that the government honors its broken treaties and returns the land.