FXW’s Land Acknowledgment

In November, 2024, the FXW community celebrated and honored Native American Heritage Month. During our assembly, students from Ms. Watson’s Grade 7 social studies class presented Land Acknowledgments that they submitted to be adopted as FXW’s official Land Acknowledgement. A Land Acknowledgment is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as the traditional stewards of the land. 

Thank you to all the students who submitted a proposal. We are so proud of your thoughtfulness and hard work. Our community selected to adopt Rima Eldam’s Land Acknowledgment. We have also selected to include a portion of Joseph Junkovic’s submission. Combined, their words (seen below) have become FXW’s official Land Acknowledgement.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We acknowledge that the land we gather on today, where The Frances Xavier Warde School stands in Chicago, Illinois, was once the homeland of many Native nations. These include the Council of the Three Fires-the Ojibwe, Odawa (Ottawa), and Potawatomi peoples-along with the Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, and many other tribes who have lived here for thousands of years. These nations called this land by names in their own languages, which held deep meaning connected to nature, water, and community. Chicago itself comes from the Miami and Potawatomi word “Shikaakwa,” meaning “wild garlic” or “onion.” The rivers and lakes around us were once places of trade, gatherings, and ceremonies that connected different tribes. When European settlers arrived, they claimed this land and began to push Native people away, taking resources and building cities. This colonialism caused a lot of harm, forcing tribes to leave their homelands and making it harder for them to keep their culture and traditions alive. But Indigenous people have never left. They have fought to keep their connections to this land, and many continue to live in Chicago and all over Illinois. Acknowledging this helps us remember that we are here because of their history, strength, and resilience. As a Catholic institution, the FXW community understands that it is our responsibility to be at the forefront of equity, justice, and social accountability. We understand our responsibility to continue to teach the culture, heritage, past and present realities of Indigenous people, and to affirm the proper historical context of all tribal nations.