LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
As we gather here today we consciously and intentionally recognize, acknowledge and honor that we are gathering on the traditional and ancestral lands of the Onondowa’ga’ or “Great Hill People.” With a proud and rich history, the Seneca Nation of Indians, also known as the Keeper of the Western Door, are the largest of the Six Nations Haudenosaunee Confederacy of Nations, that constitute democratic government that pre-dates the United States Constitution.
Alfred, NY, Allegany County and New York State at-large are still home to Seneca people who continue to assert their tribal sovereignty. They act as caretakers and stewards of this land while actively maintaining their culture, ceremonies and languages. By offering this land acknowledgment we reaffirm our commitment to working to hold Alfred University more accountable to the needs of the Seneca and of other First Nations peoples. We acknowledge our gratitude for the opportunity to work for and with First Nations people in this place, as we pay our respects to our Seneca Nation relatives on their lands.
