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The land acknowledgement statements really irk me. Pretty much all land has been conquered, reconquered, or otherwise changed hands many times over the last se
by syzarian 4y ago
The land acknowledgement statements really irk me. Pretty much all land has been conquered, reconquered, or otherwise changed hands many times over the last several thousand years. What is the point of saying this land once belonged to group A? How does that help marginalized people? It reminds me of people saying, “Thank you for your service” and then voting against politicians that want to increase funding for veterans.
I suppose this sort of meaningless act lets some people feel like they are “allies” of native people without having to actually help native people. It’s like, “thoughts and prayers”. There will be a backlash and these dumb requirements are an obstacle to progress toward racial equality.
- beej71 4y agoI think the two options people generally go with are: 1. Forget about it and do nothing. 2. Remember it and do nothing. While both of these are pretty poor, the second, I'd argue, is marginally better. Forgetting history isn't usually the best plan.
- syzarian 4y agoAll else being equal I would agree with you. I do think though that enforcing things like land acknowledgment statements in syllabi creates resentment amongst those in the middle. There is also harm, I think, in letting those who advocate for such policies feel good about themselves without them doing anything to feel good about.