A land acknowledgement is a formal statement by an institution that recognizes and honors the traditional homeland of its Indigenous peoples.
Menlo College is located within lands traditionally stewarded by the Puichon tribe, one of more than 50 original Indigenous groups of the San Francisco Bay Area. The land on which Menlo College sits was ceded to the United States Army as a part of Cessation 274, one of the 18 treaties that tribes living in the Southwest were made to sign between 1851 and 1892. The Army forced the tribes to move off the land and onto reservations. Today’s Indigenous descendants in the Bay Area are commonly known as Ohlone or Muwekma Ohlone.
This land acknowledgement is available for those Menlo Community members who wish to use it. Oftentimes, land acknowledgements are read aloud in advance of meetings, events, and other group activities.
Menlo College wishes to recognize Brittany Woods-Orrison ’19 for her leadership in and dedication to ensuring her alma mater honors the land and Indigenous peoples of the area. Thank you, Brittany, for your perseverance and for helping future Menlo students feel safe, protected, and celebrated.
