The City of West Hollywood reads the land acknowledgment at the beginning of its official events, such as City Council meetings and other public gatherings. The city adopted a land acknowledgment policy in February 2022, which is read aloud and is also displayed visually at these events.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: “The West Hollywood City Council acknowledges that the land on which we gather and that is currently known as the City of West Hollywood is the occupied, unceded, seized territory of the Gabrieleño Tongva and Gabrieleño Kizh peoples.”
Really? Is there a statue or a plaque anywhere in the City of West Hollywood for the Gabrieleño Tongva and Gabrieleño Kizh peoples? Or is it just a bunch of empty words with no real substance behind it? I’m not aware of a single artifact from these tribes within our borders.
West Hollywood was incorporated in November 1984. There was no mention of these Indians for the first 38 years of cityhood. The West Hollywood City Council adopted its land acknowledgment on February 2, 2022, followed by the County of Los Angeles in November 2022. To me, the land acknowledgment feels like a constant echo that we did something wrong to these tribes and should feel sorry for our actions.
Since the mid-1800s, California has maintained a recording system to document property ownership and protect against fraud. Each time a property is sold, a ‘title search’ is required for the transfer of property to make sure the property is free from ‘claims.’ The key aspects of a title search, besides verifying the property line boundaries are to ensure the property is free from any liens, disputes or claims against the title. The land acknowledgement simply does not make sense.
It is awkward and annoying to listen to this land acknowledgment over and over at every meeting or city event when these tribes have no real rights or history over West Hollywood. The land acknowledgment that is meant to recognize ‘indigenous people’ overshadows my right, your right, our fair and legal right to our property. And the cost, calculated in staff time, continues to escalate with each wasted minute.
Can you imagine Donald Trump standing on the podium before the State of the Union, saying, “We acknowledge the land on which we gather that is the occupied, unceded and seized territory of the Cherokee and Sioux Indian tribes? If that sounds ridiculous, it is because it is.
What if one of these ‘tribes’ filed a lawsuit and used the City of West Hollywood’s own statement in its defense to claim its right to the the land under your home or apartment? The law works in strange ways.
West Hollywood may have been one of the first to adopt the land acknowledgment in 2022, but nationally there are still only a few cities that continue the same practice . To see if a specific city uses an acknowledgment, you can check here, a city’s official website or local government resources. But, it’s few and far between and an idea that we should not be wasting our time with.
In 2021, President Biden issued a proclamation to change the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous People Day. The land acknowledgment is an unnecessary waste of time.
I personally believe the City’s acknowledgement of the original indigenous inhabitants of West Hollywood – and their contempoary descendents – is (1) historically factual, (2) politically appropriate, and (3) morally imperative. It is a small but significant recognition of the millions of Native Peoples in this country who were victims of genocide. This acknowledgement is a long-overdue act of human decency. Opponents to it should be ashamed of themselves.
If certain City Council members are losing sleep about the loss of land to indigenous people, then maybe they should move back to Europe. This is so pathetically performative. As a person of Latino heritage, I don’t see these (mostly) white people mentioning anything about stealing California from Mexico.
It’s as if they want people to start voting for the GOP. It just gets crazier and crazier. Who is behind this madness?
It is white guilt superficial virtue signaling and is the kind of ultra left bullshit that got us Trump elected again as backlash. If you’re not gonna actually do anything, like give the land back, shut up. The last thing our city Council is is ethical, so them trying to virtue signal about a land acknowledgment is empty words and does absolutely nothing in support of the indigenous peoples. It is an insult to all concerned.
White guilt.
Narcissistic feel good ultra-liberal nonsense. Those native americans can’t vote here!
🤡
2022, the height of WOKENESS.
MADNESS. Comforting to know that at the very least, we’re swinging back in the direction of common sense. That level of crazy was not sustainable.
You really are MAGA. SAD.
Not being far left somehow makes moderate (ie not crazy) Democrats suddenly MAGA to the progressive crowd. The funny reality holds true with the horseshoe theory. Progressives are closer and more like team MAGA than us sensible moderates.
It is so ridiculous. Can you imagine if Europe did this at the beginning of each of their meetings? Over the centuries, countries changed borders frequently, with kingdoms and governments taking over land. Their land acknowledgments would take up hours leaving no time for meetings. LOL. This is just a hollow attempt at pandering to a certain group. It’s old and we’re tired of it.
They aren’t even pandering to a LIVING group. They are just making themselves feel good and ultra-liberal. As a liberal I think it is stupid! We need somebody navaho (who looks it) come in in tribal gear and slap ’em around :()
The “currently know as the City of West Hollywood” part is hilarious. Makes it hard to take seriously anything else done or said at the meeting.