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The Democratic National Committee kicked off its annual summer meeting in Minneapolis with a “land acknowledgment” that included an assertion that the U.S. perpetuates a system of suppression.
“Let’s talk about the land for a second,” said Lindy Sowmick, treasurer of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) and self-described “Indigenous queer woman,” after DNC Chairman Ken Martin introduced her to recite the acknowledgment.
“The DNC acknowledges and honors the Dakota Oyate – the Dakota people – who are the original stewards of the lands and waters of Minneapolis,” Sowmick continued. “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.”
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Sowmick encouraged members of the Democratic Party to see the “land acknowledgment” as more than just “the checking of a box.”
“As Democrats, I ask of every one of you to not allow land acknowledgments like these to simply be the checking of a box – be curious, ask questions, ensure our native neighbors are heard and work in partnership with your Indigenous communities,” Sowmick urged the crowd Monday. “Honor the legacy of this land and its people by engaging today with each other with honesty, humility, respect and compassion.”
Monday’s comments came in front of more than 400 party officials from all 50 states who gathered at a downtown Minneapolis hotel for the annual summer meeting.
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Similar to the summer meeting, the DNC’s national party convention in Chicago, held ahead of the 2024 election, also included a “land acknowledgment.” During that recital the speakers blamed the U.S. government for “forcibly remov[ing]” tribal folks from their land.
Meanwhile, the DNC’s 2024 party platform also included such an acknowledgment on its first page, following the title page.
“The Democratic National Committee wishes to acknowledge that we gather together to state our values on lands that have been stewarded through many centuries by the ancestors and descendants of Tribal Nations who have been here since time immemorial,” the platform’s acknowledgment stated.
“We honor the communities native to this continent, and recognize that our country was built on Indigenous homelands. We pay our respects to the millions of Indigenous people throughout history who have protected our lands, waters, and animals.”
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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