Land Acknowledgement
Montpelier is nestled amidst the Green Mountains and sits at the confluence of the Winooski and North Branch rivers. The name "Winooski" comes from the Abenaki word winoskik meaning "at wild onion land.“ We live and work on Abenaki land. We recognize the indigenous culture and people that existed in N’dakinna (Homeland) long before Europeans arrived in North America.
We commit to policies and practices of cultural equity to benefit current and future generations. We strengthen and celebrate our relationship with N’dakinna by honoring its past and finding our place in its future. We offer our respect and gratitude to the traditional caretakers for their stewardship by seeking to uplift indigenous peoples, cultures, and arts.
Why do we acknowledge that Montpelier is founded on Abenaki land? We believe that it is vitally important that all people understand that this land was stewarded by the Abenaki people for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. With our land acknowledgment, we take an intentional step to nurturing our relationships with the land and its inhabitants and creating a space of inclusion, welcoming, and belonging for our communities and guests.
The tradition of land acknowledgements began in Canada and is now used by many cultural organizations across North America. To learn more about the importance of land acknowledgements, please visit www.landacknowledgements.org.