Microsoft’s Tribal Land Acknowledgement a Great Step but ‘More Needs to Be Done,’ Native American Mayoral Candidate Says

At the outset of Microsoft’s Inspire partner conference this week, co-hosts Aliesha Pulliam, a communications manager, and broadcast journalist Elise Hu, offered two public disclosures that are becoming increasingly common in regional corporate and government gatherings:

The first was a description of their appearances and ethnicity for members of the audience who are visually impaired. And the second was an acknowledgment that the Redmond conference was taking place on traditional tribal land.

“We need to acknowledge that the land where the Microsoft campus is located is traditionally occupied by the Sammamish, Duwamish, Snoqualmie, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, Snohomish, Tulalip, and other coastal Salish people since time immemorial,” Pulliam said, “a people who are still continuing to honor and bring to light their amazing heritage.”

For Seattle mayoral candidate Colleen Echohawk, this acknowledgment is a great first step in recognizing a people and their history. But, she added, it is only a first step.

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A spokesman for Microsoft confirmed the company will make these statements before all of its public events and that the company has been doing so since March. The city of Seattle and other municipal governments make similar announcements before public events.

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