Land Acknowledgement for Zoom Meetings

All councils of the PC(USA) have been charged to begin their meetings with Land Acknowledgements. With the shift to Zoom meetings during the pandemic, the language of Land Acknowledgements is no less important, but may need to be reworked from existing texts. Below is a Land Acknowledgement for Zoom, intended to be used as a gathering before a welcoming prayer. Please feel free to use this text and change it to fit your needs.

Note: Attendees should visit Native Land and search their location before the Land Acknowledgement. The names of tribes who have lived in their locations can be shared in the chat feature or out loud.

As we gather in this virtual space, we recognize that we are connected with one another through the winds that blow air into our lungs and through the waters that move deep into the earth and up into the sky. We acknowledge that the ground beneath our feet is historically the home of Indigenous Peoples, many of whom have been forced to leave for other lands. We share now the names of the peoples who were the first to live, celebrate, lament, and sing upon the land where we now sit. 

Tribal names are shared

May we also remember that Indigenous Peoples are not a people of the past, but are here with us know. If there are Indigenous People on this call, you are invited to share your tribe so that we may recognize you. 

Time to Recognize Indigenous Attendees

Rooted in these places, as a diverse gathering of God’s people, we move into a space of prayer.