On Tuesday, the City of Brentwood Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion Committee (DEBI) will discuss land acknowledgement recommendations.
Under the item, the committee will discuss and consider an official City of Brentwood Land Acknowledgement to be read aloud at the beginning of every meeting of the City of Brentwood and its subsidiary commissions, committees, boards, and bodies.
The agenda says, a Land Acknowledgment is a formal statement that publicly recognizes the Indigenous Peoples who have been displaced and dispossessed from their ancestral lands due to colonial and historical forces. It acknowledges that an organization, city, park, or other structure is located on the ancestral homelands of these Indigenous communities.
Presenting a Land Acknowledgment at official City Council meetings supports the Council’s commitment to advancing racial equity by promoting an environment that is both aware of and actively working to integrate Indigenous People and the history of local lands into decision-making processes.
According to the staff report, to promote inclusion and a sense of belonging in community engagement, staff recommends partnering with local Indigenous organizations to develop and present a Land Acknowledgment that accurately reflects the ancestral tribes of present-day Brentwood. While Contra Costa County’s Office of Education provides Land Acknowledgment templates, this process goes beyond mere recognition
The staff report cites local indigenous resources:
- Me-Wuk (Bay Miwok) & Muwekma
- Miwok
- Confederate Villages of Lisjan
- Yokuts
- Native Land
- Contra Costa County Office of Education
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