City Council Acknowledges Spokane Tribe of Indians Land

The Spokane City Council posted a “Land Acknowledgement” on Facebook Monday night acknowledging that the city’s land was once inhabited by the Spokane Tribe of Indians.

The resolution was approved on March 22, 2021, in a city council meeting. {snip}

The acknowledgment reads:

We acknowledge that we are on the unceded land of the Spokane people. And that these lands were once the major trading center for the Spokanes as they shared this place and welcomed other area tribes through their relations, history, trade, and ceremony. We also want to acknowledge that the land holds the spirit of the place, through its knowledge, culture, and all the original peoples Since Time Immemorial.

As we take a moment to consider the impacts of impacts of colonization may we also acknowledge the strengths and resiliency of the Spokanes and their relatives. {snip} We are grateful to be on the shared lands of the Spokane people and ask for the support of their ancestors and all relations. We ask that you recognize these injustices that forever changed the lives of the Spokane people and all their relatives.

We agree to work together to stop all acts of continued injustices towards Native Americans and all our relatives. {snip} We must act upon the truths and take actions that will create restorative justice for all people. 

Before settlers moved into the area around Spokane Falls, the Spokane Tribe of Indians made their home in about 3 million acres of Northeastern Washington and sometimes parts of Idaho and Montana, according to the tribe’s website.

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