At the Roots & Wings Festival, we wish to acknowledge, recognize, and respect the Indigenous Peoples who tended these lands before they were known as Austin, Texas. We acknowledge, with respect, that the land we are on is the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Tonkawa, the Apache, the Ysleta del sur Pueblo, the Lipan Apache Tribe, the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians, the Coahuitlecan, and all other tribes not explicitly stated. The Roots & Wings planning committee has created a Festival-wide land acknowledgment in recognition that our work in nature-based programming sits in direct relationship to the genocide and forced removal of Indigenous Peoples from their land and humanity’s long history of inequality and injustice perpetuated by legacies of colonialism and slavery, centered on the exploitation of people, land, and nature.

At the start of any programming you plan to offer, we encourage you to consider the inclusion of your own land acknowledgment. Below we’ve offered some resources to help you understand why and how to do so.

Please note: Land acknowledgments do not exist in the past tense. Rather, the structures and systems that led to multiple genocides being perpetrated against Indigenous People continue to exist in our world and in our work. The first step in considering the inclusion of a land acknowledgment should be a process of self-reflection.

A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement: From the Native Governance Center

Indigenous History and Land Acknowledgments: Resource Guide adapted by Celine Rendon for public use

Reducing our impact on nature and the environment is another way we can show our commitment to trees, pollinators, and all creatures. Consider incorporating some Zero Waste strategies into your event with these tips and resources from Austin Resource Recovery.