The Ecological Society of America acknowledges that its 2023 Annual Meeting, held in downtown Portland, Oregon in Multnomah County rests on the ancestral lands of the Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Tumwater, Watlala bands of the Chinook, the Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other Indigenous nations who have made their homes along the Columbia River. We would like to express our respect to the First Peoples of this land, and we recognize the preexisting and continued sovereignty of the nine federally recognized tribes of Oregon: Burns Paiute Tribe, Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua & Siuslaw Indians, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, Coquille Indian Tribe, Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians, and The Klamath Tribes. We offer gratitude for their stewardship of these lands—past, present and future.
In the spirit of self-reflection, learning and partnership, the Ecological Society of America renews its commitment to embrace and celebrate Indigenous scholarship and participation in our programs, events and governance through respectful dialogue and collaboration particularly with leaders of the Traditional Ecological Knowledge section of ESA, which was established 20 years ago. We are also pleased to work actively with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society to elevate Indigenous voices and seek ways to support career development opportunities of Indigenous students and scholars in the ecological sciences.
Throughout the week, we highly encourage the ESA community to connect with Indigenous scientists by participating in at least one session or talk organized by the Traditional Ecological Knowledge section or other Indigenous scientists for your own learning journey about the ongoing legal and spiritual relationship between the land, plants, animals and peoples indigenous to this place as well as in the places where you come from.
Dr. Samantha Chisholm Hatfield is a respected member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and is also Cherokee. She is a professor at Oregon State University, where she studies and teaches Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), climate change impacts, adaptation, and Indigenous environmental relationships.
In preparing this land acknowledgement, ESA is grateful for the guidance of Peter Sv-gvs (Black Bear) Hatch History & Archaeology Specialist Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
