The Roots & Wings Festival’s Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge, with respect, that the land we live in, work on, and enjoy is land that Indigenous People have lived in, worked on, and enjoyed from before it was ever called Austin. Although other peoples may have connections to this land and this land is not necessarily claimed as ancestral or traditional land by all, these are some of the Indigenous Peoples connected to this land: the Tonkawa, the Apache, the Ysleta del sur Pueblo, the Lipan Apache Tribe, the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians, the Coahuitlecan, the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, the Kickapoo Tribe of Texas, Carrizo & Comecrudo, Tigua Pueblo, Caddo, Comanche, Kiowa, Wichita, Chickasaw, and Waco peoples.

In honoring and celebrating our land, trees, and pollinators, we wish to also honor and celebrate the Indigenous Peoples that have resided, thrived, and taken care of the land here, now and before us. We acknowledge the ongoing legacy of killing, displacing, cultural and literal genocide and stealing the land of Indigenous People and unaddressed injustices. While celebrating the green spaces that we treasure in Austin, we need to recognize and further learn about the actions that have brought us to where we are and are a part of what Austin is now. 

In acknowledging this land and the Indigenous People who are inextricably connected to it, we acknowledge the need to continue learning about, celebrating, and being mindful of the Land and the Indigenous Peoples connected to it. As organizations that value the preservation and protection of both people and land, we acknowledge the need to continue the work of decolonization and learn from and honor, with gratitude and appreciation, the Indigenous Peoples of this land. We can do this by learning and by actively and intentionally including and inviting Indigenous voices, narratives, representation, and people into our work.

Continued Learning: Indigenous Peoples

We invite you to join us in learning more about the native people connected to this land we inhabit by visiting Native Land Digital. As this Land Acknowledgement was not written by Indigenous Peoples, we encourage you to explore more first-hand information from Native Peoples and their connections to nature, the outdoors, and the environment from the resources outlined below.

This is not an exhaustive list, but rather are resources for a learning journey in support of honoring Indigenous Peoples and revering these lands we inhabit.

• Indigenous Cultures Institute

• Honoring Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgment

• The Tonkawa Tribe Official History

• Lipan Apache Creation Story Featuring Texas Trees

• UT Native American Indigenous Studies Resources

• Natives Outdoors

• Natives Women’s Wilderness

• Indigenous Women Hike