Land Acknowledgement

As part of the college of Health and Human Development's commitment to honor, recognize, and respect the Indigenous peoples and their connection to the land on which our college stands, we have established guidelines for using Penn State University's Land Acknowledgment Statement. 

Use of the Penn State Acknowledgment of Land in the College of Health and Human Development  

The purpose of a land acknowledgement is to recognize, respect and affirm the ongoing relationship between Indigenous people and the land. Land acknowledgements also raise awareness about the Indigenous histories, perspectives and experiences that are often suppressed or forgotten. Pennsylvania State University’s statement was crafted in collaboration with the Indigenous Peoples Student Association (IPSA) and the Indigenous Faculty and Staff Alliance (IFSA) and adopted by the University in 2021. 

Starting in AY2024-25, the college will incorporate the University land acknowledgment at the beginning of events with formal speaking programs organized and coordinated at the college-level at our University Park campus.  This includes public lectures or speaker events, orientation programs for new students and staff, cultural or heritage events, and other events with formal programs. The college will also include the acknowledgment in printed program materials accompanying these events.     

The college encourages its component academic, research, and central units to consider incorporating the acknowledgement into similar formal events it may host on campus.  Please feel free to reach out to Nicole Webster, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, nsw10@psu.edu for more information on using the land acknowledgement in HHD sponsored programs.  

The Penn State Acknowledgement of Land is reprinted below: 

The Pennsylvania State University campuses are located on the original homelands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora), Lenape (Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe, Stockbridge-Munsee), Monongahela, Shawnee (Absentee, Eastern, and Oklahoma), Susquehannock, and Wahzhazhe (Osage) Nations. As a land grant institution, we acknowledge and honor the traditional caretakers of these lands and strive to understand and model their responsible stewardship. We also acknowledge the longer history of these lands and our place in that history 

More information on the use of Land Acknowledgements, including a guide to Native Nation pronunciation and helpful resources on how to build on the use of acknowledgements to achieve greater awareness and inclusivity can be found here.   

Native Nations Name Pronunciation Guide

• Erie (Like the city Erie, PA)  |  ee·ree
• Haudenosaunee  |  ho-dee-no-SHOW-nee 
  • Seneca  |  seh·nuh·kuh
  • Cayuga  |  kay-YOO-gə
  • Onondaga  |  aa·nuhn·daa·guh
  • Oneida  |  ow·nai·duh
  • Mohawk  |  mow·haak
  • Tuscarora  |  tuh·skuh·raw·ruh
• Lenape  |  leh·nuh·pee
  • Delaware (Like the state)  |  deh·luh·wehr
  • Stockbridge-Munsee  |  stäkˌbrij Mun·see
• Monongahela  |  muh·naang·guh·hee·luh
• Shawnee  |  shaa·nee
  • Absentee  |  ab·suhn·tee
  • Eastern  |  ee·strn
  • Oklahoma  |  ow·kluh·how·muh
  • Susquehannock  |  suh·skwuh·ha·naak
• Wahzhazhe  |  wah-zaw-zhee 
  • Osage  |  ow·sayj