The University of Pittsburgh System (Oakland, Greensburg, Bradford, Johnstown, Titusville) occupies the ancestral lands of the Seneca (Sen-uh-kuh) in Pittsburgh and Sharpsburg, as well as the Monongahela (Muh-naang-guh-hee-luh) peoples who were later joined by refugees of other tribes (including the Delaware, Shawnee, Mingo, and Haudenosaunee tribes (Hoe-den-no-show-nee), who were all forced off their original land and displaced by European colonists. We acknowledge the most recent displacement of the Seneca near Warren County (between Bradford and Titusville campuses) in 1965 as well as the native languages and cultures that have been severely damaged or lost due to forced removal and assimilation. We honor the original caretakers of this region and uplift their historic, unique, and enduring relationship with this land, which is their ancestral territory.
We pay our respects to their Elders and their past, present, and future people, community, and culture. While we cannot change the past, we commit to continued gratitude for the gifts of nature, along with ongoing respect, care, and stewardship of the land, each other, and future generations. We are committed to learning and supporting indigenous communities in the region today and in the future.
This land acknowledgement reminds us of the people who have been harmed and oppressed in the past, and of the harms that continue today. It reminds us that we must attend to the intersectional identities and power systems of race, gender, class, religion, and ability … to build peace, and to build a more just and equitable future.