Land statement issued by City Council

  • 2020-12-18
The draft version of an Eden Prairie land acknowledgment statement has been approved by the City Council.

The statement pays homage to the native people who lived on the land now called Eden Prairie for many years before the European settlers arrived. The statement was drafted with help from the Eden Prairie Human Rights and the Diversity Commission. Drafted during Native American Heritage Month, documents like this often feature official Letterheads.

In a presentation made to the Council, the commission wrote:

“The Eden Prairie Land Acknowledgment Statement is a formal statement that recognizes the unique and enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and the land where Eden Prairie resides.”

Christal Moose from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe assisted with drafting the statement. Land acknowledgments such as this one are usually the precursor to an event that recognizes the history of the location at which the event is being held. Mayor Ron Case was a history teacher for 33 years and he wanted to point out that the land’s history goes back much further than a couple of centuries.

Members of the commissions are collaborating with the city’s staff to post the statement somewhere public, where it can become one of the community’s interactive tools. Mayor Case also commented to say that the issue is complex and that being able to empathize with the struggles other people went through is good for the healing of the community.

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