Land and Labor Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that we are on the traditional land of the Puget Sound Salish peoples belonging to the Puyallup, Steilacoom, Nisqually, and Squaxin Island tribes and bands, and we honor and thank the traditional caretakers of this land. As occupants of this land, this compels us to learn how this land was acquired in order to honor these people.  The Medicine Creek Treaty was established between then Governor of Washington State, Issac Stevens, who signed the treaty with 662 representatives of the 9 tribes in the area on Christmas day in 1854. The treaty ceded 2.56 million acres of the ancestral lands of the Puyallup, Nisqually, and Squaxin Island tribes to the United States government in exchange for establishment of three small 1,200 acre reservations, cash payments of $32,500 to be paid over a period of thirteen years, and recognition of traditional native fishing and hunting rights.  Shortly after the signing of the treaty, the US government broke its word to the Native people, violating the treaty by denying them the rights they promised and relocating them to reservations away from traditional food sources.  The native people who signed this treaty protested the US government’s implementation of the treaty, which did not honor the original agreement. This led to the Puget Sound War in 1855, and ultimately the trial and execution of Chief Leschi, who would be exonerated post-mortem in 2004. To this day, the Native peoples of Puget Sound still face challenges by increasingly stringent state regulations on access to fishing and hunting rights granted by the Medicine Creek Treaty.  

This land’s history is important to Clover Park Technical College. We recognize that we are in a privileged space, and hope that this acknowledgment will serve to spark further inquiry and dialogue about our Native history and current community connections.  We value the tribes in our community, and the impact that they continue to make on our college to this day. The Puyallup and Muckleshoot Tribes are financial supporters, and CPTC has alumni, students, staff and faculty who are tribal members. They are a vital part of our community, and we thank them for their generosity and support.  As a step toward honoring tribal history, Clover Park Technical College acknowledges the traditional Native lands on which we stand. Such statements become truly meaningful when coupled with authentic relationships and sustained commitment. We therefore commit to move beyond words into programs and actions that fully embody a commitment to Indigenous rights and cultural equity.  

Furthermore, we encourage all present today to take steps toward a commitment to Indigenous rights and cultural equity by sharing our history with others. We have an obligation to care for and respect the land we occupy, and an obligation to support the Native peoples in our community and those attending our institution as students, staff and faculty. It is our hope that this acknowledgement will be the first step of many toward intentionally fulfilling our obligations to these communities and treaties.”  

Further, we acknowledge that colonization promoted the expansion of white supremacy and settler colonialism through the exploitation of human labor. The enslaved people, primarily of African descent, who were forced into unpaid labor on which this country was built, with little to no recognition. Today, we acknowledge that the establishment of higher education was rooted in the unpaid labor of many Black and Brown bodies that continue to work in the shadows for our collective benefit.