A growing number of higher education institutions are acknowledging that their land once belonged to Indigenous peoples. Land acknowledgments are an effort to redress the past, make amends for the present, and shape the future of a location as it relates to Indigenous peoples. Even so, these statements are too often crafted without reflecting on the region’s history and why the acknowledgement matters.<br><br> <br><br>Please join Executive Director Joseph Bruchac and Language Director Jesse Bruchac (both Abenaki) of the Ndakinna Education Center in Greenfield Center, NY as they guide us in a conversation about the meaning and importance of acknowledging and honoring Indigenous people who have inhabited our lands, now and in the past. This event commemorates National Native American Heritage month.<br><br>The Reason and Respect Speaker series grew out of SUNY Empire’s dedication to the free exchange of ideas and the uplifting power of education to enlighten. The monthly series explores and reflects the diversity of our world.