In January 2022, the University Senate approved a resolution recommending that the University adopt a land acknowledgement statement and to put it into use.
Official Statement
We respectfully acknowledge that Montclair State University occupies land in Lenapehoking, the traditional and expropriated territory of the Lenape. As a state institution, we recognize and support the sovereignty of New Jersey’s three state-recognized tribes: the Ramapough Lenape, Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape, and Powhatan Renape nations.
We recognize the sovereign nations of the Lenape diaspora elsewhere in North America, as well as other Indigenous individuals and communities now residing in New Jersey.
By offering this land acknowledgement, we commit to addressing the historical legacies of Indigenous dispossession and dismantling practices of erasure that persist today.
We recognize the resilience and persistence of contemporary Indigenous communities and their role in educating all of us about justice, equity, and the stewardship of the land throughout the generations.
Pronunciation Guide
As the statement above is intended to be read aloud while opening various on-campus events, it is important to take a moment to review the following terms and become comfortable with their pronunciation.
Further Reading
- Lenapehoeking on Wikipedia A term that describes the lands inhabited by the Lenape people, an area that encompasses all of modern-day New Jersey and various parts of Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York near Delaware Bay, the Delaware River, the Hudson River and both rivers’ tributaries.
- Lenape on Wikipedia The Lenape are a collection of clans that lived near to each other and who share similar languages and cultures.
- Ramapough Mountain Indians on Wikipedia Though this page uses an older name for the group, it provides overview information about the Ramapough Lenape Nation, one of New Jersey’s three state-recognized tribes. The Ramapough Lenape Nation is made up of Lenape clans that predominantly lived in the northern half of New Jersey and southern New York.
- Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape on Wikipedia The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation is one of New Jersey’s three state-recognized tribes and represents people whose ancestors lived in southern New Jersey, Delaware and Eastern Pennsylvania
- Powhatan on Wikipedia The Powhatan people refer to a group of federated tribes from an area of Eastern Virginia called Tsenacommacah. The Powhatan Renape, one of New Jersey’s three state-recognized tribes, are descendant from Powhatan people who relocated to central New Jersey in the 19th century.
- The New Jersey Commission on American Indian Affairs A commission consisting of representatives of the state and the state’s three tribes that facilitates tribal representation in state government and makes resources available to American Indians in New Jersey.
- They Were Just In The Way | Indian Removal A video overview of the history of Indian Removal in colonial North America, the United States of America and Canada.
- Native American and Indigenous Studies Minor