Moving Beyond Lip Service: University Land Acknowledgment Statements and the Role of Leadership in Making Them Meaningful

Using Tribal Critical Race Theory (TribalCrit) as a framework, this case addresses the practice of universities offering land acknowledgments, which has faced scrutiny for presenting Indigenous peoples as absent, implying they willingly sacrificed territory, and failing to offer tangible steps for restitution. Readers follow Dr. Abigail Sims, a Ramsey State University faculty member in the Department of American Indian Studies, who aims to address these issues while experiencing backlash. Students are encouraged to reflect on leadership tactics when faced with funding and public relations challenges, land acknowledgments that promote truth-telling and decolonization, and restitution to Indigenous peoples.