DNC Summer Meeting Highlights Land Acknowledgement

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) kicked off its yearly summer meeting in Minneapolis, discussing its “land approval” initiative, which suggests that the United States maintains an oppressive system.

Lindy Sowmick, the treasurer of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party, spoke about the importance of acknowledging the land. DNC Chairman Ken Martin introduced her, highlighting her background as a “Strange Indigenous Woman.” Sowmick emphasized that the DNC honors the Dakota Oyate, the original caretakers of the land and waters in Minneapolis. She noted that the Dakota people nurtured these areas for thousands of years before colonization, alluding to the history of broken treaties and unfulfilled promises.

Sowmick urged attendees to view “land approval” as more than a mere formality. “As a Democrat,” she said, “I ask all of you to not let land acknowledgments be just a check in a box. Be curious, ask questions, and work with Indigenous communities.” She stressed the importance of engaging with these communities respectfully and compassionately.

Her comments came before more than 400 party officials gathered downtown for the meeting. This event, like the earlier National Party Congress in Chicago, incorporated “land approval” into its discussions. Speakers there criticized the government for forcibly removing people from their lands.

Additionally, the DNC’s upcoming 2024 Party Platform featured land acknowledgments prominently at the beginning.

“We honor the region on this continent and recognize that our country was built on the ancestral lands of Indigenous peoples,” reads the platform’s acknowledgements. “We respect millions of Indigenous peoples for their history of protecting land, water, and wildlife.”