Yarmouth Adopts Land Acknowledgement
- shieldsdale1
- Oct 30
- 1 min read
We'd like to celebrate with you the fact that on June 26th our town adopted a land acknowledgement that recognizes the indigenous history of this place we now call Yarmouth! You can read the acknowledgement on the town website HERE.
The Portland Press Herald also wrote a great article about it HERE.
While land acknowledgements are becoming more common in Maine's educational, cultural and historical organizations, to our knowledge Yarmouth, Westbrook, Kittery and Bath are the only towns in this part of Maine that we know have taken this step! (Please let us know if there are more.)
YCARE members with experience writing land acknowledgements worked closely with town councilors to draft the statement. Local indigenous residents were also consulted for their feedback. YCARE members are available for free consultation if you are part of a local business or organization that would like to write a land acknowledgement to honor Wabanaki history and presence. Please be in touch.
Writing a land acknowledgement is not a passive process and should not just be something symbolic. In the words of Councilor David Craig, "It should be action-oriented, and holding our feet to the fire..."
Our town's land acknowledgement is a call for Yarmouth residents to further educate themselves on the Indigenous history and presence in town.
For more information on Wabanaki history and culture, visit:
You are also invited to read the land acknowledgement in Yarmouth's Comprehensive Plan (page 3) and to also see below a photo of the land acknowledgement that our Parks and Lands Committee now posts in all town parks!
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