Acknowledgment, Relationship & Responsibility
Pratt Institute is situated in Lenapehoking [leh-NAH-pay-HOH-king], the traditional and unceded homeland of the Lenape [leh-NAH-pay]. A land acknowledgment names this relationship and the histories that shape it. A living acknowledgment asks more: learning, sustained relationships, institutional action, and responsibility.
Pratt Institute Living Land Acknowledgment
Pratt Institute is situated in Lenapehoking, the traditional and unceded homeland of the Lenape, past, present, and future. The Lenape have been living on this land long before the United States was established, and their wisdom is essential to our time.
We acknowledge that the genocide, theft of land and resources, forced migration, and systematic cultural oppression of Indigenous Peoples and Nations have a long-lasting impact on the living conditions, mental health, and cultural lineage of Indigenous Peoples and Nations. We acknowledge that colonizers and their descendants have benefited economically and socially from the oppression of Indigenous Peoples and Nations, and we commit to repairing inequity and rebalancing the distribution of power.
As learners and educators, we recognize Indigenous Peoples’ and Nations’ longtime traditions of making art and storytelling. We acknowledge the significance of their creativity and how often they are unrecognized as artists, designers, and writers, while their cultures are appropriated and taken by other artists, designers, and writers.
Only when we are informed of our past can we collectively envision our future. We begin by properly naming the land where we reside and recognizing ourselves as voluntary and involuntary immigrants to this land. We will actively work to challenge the legacy of settler colonialism, undo its extractive and exploitative land practices, express gratitude to the stewards of the land and water who came before us, and honor their descendants who are here today.
Why a Living Acknowledgment?
Pratt’s Living Land Acknowledgment is more than a statement shared at the beginning of a gathering. Calling it “living” recognizes that the work continues through learning, relationship, reflection, and action. It asks us to return to the acknowledgment, consider how its commitments are being practiced, and remain responsive to the people and communities connected to this land.
Lenape [leh-NAH-pay] people and other Indigenous peoples are present today. They continue to live, create, teach, study, organize, sustain their nations and communities, and shape the future of Indigenous life and knowledge. A land acknowledgment is a starting point. It invites each of us to ask: What relationships, roles, and responsibilities follow from being here?
Events & Gatherings
The full Living Land Acknowledgment may be shared at major institutional gatherings, public programs, exhibitions, and learning settings when there is time to engage with its meaning. Whenever you share the acknowledgment, consider why it matters to the gathering and what responsibility follows. The purpose is not simply to recite the words, but to support continued learning, relationship, and action. For shorter gatherings, email campus-community@pratt.edu for an approved excerpt that may be used and connected to relevant learning resources, reflection, or action.
Pratt Libraries maintains a Native American and Indigenous Peoples research guide with resources on the Living Land Acknowledgment, Lenape history, Lenapehoking, library collections, Indigenous issues, sovereignty, culture, and contemporary communities. The guide should be the primary learning gateway linked from this page.
Explore Pratt Libraries’ Native American and Indigenous Peoples guide
Read Pratt Libraries’ Lenape Peoples’ History page
Explore Pratt Libraries’ Lenapehoking resources
Explore the Pratt Institute — Land Acknowledgment project board (Milanote)
Pratt School of Art, Project Third: Indigenous Knowledges / Decolonial Pedagogies
Additional Resources
Native Governance Center, A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgment
Native Governance Center, Beyond Land Acknowledgment
Delaware Tribe of Indians, Lenape Language
Delaware Tribe of Indians, Lenape Talking Dictionary
Get Involved!
Students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in Indigenous Peoples’ Land Circle learning and listening opportunities. These gatherings offer space to learn, reflect, share perspectives, and contribute to the continued implementation of Pratt’s Living Land Acknowledgment. Email pratt-iplc@pratt.edu.
For questions about the Living Land Acknowledgment or related learning resources, email campus-community@pratt.edu.