The following land acknowledgement was authored by Karyn Kameroff, an enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation. She is not a citizen of any of the tribal communities in Southwest Washington, rather she has spent much time working for and with coastal tribes where she has learned the following information as it has been shared or told to her. The purpose of this opening statement is to recognize that any mistakes/misunderstandings or misinformation are owned by Karyn and not by any one working for the YWCA and any/all accountability belongs to her and questions or corrections should be addressed to Karyn.

Let us be mindful and acknowledge that we are on the lands of the Indigenous peoples of the Lower Columbia River. We do not represent one of the tribal communities from this area, it is important to understand that we do not speak for them, nor do we know all their history or culture. The Indigenous people that utilize these lands include the Cowlitz (Cow-lutz) and Chinook (Chin-ook or Shin-ook). The Salish (Say-lish), Willapah (Will-ah{long a}-pah{long a}), Molalla (Mow-la-la), Umpqua (Ump-kwah), Kalapuya (Kai-ya-pwee-ya), Klikitat (Click-ah-tat), Palus (Pa-loose), Wenatchi (When-naa-chee), Wasco (Wah-sko), Clackamas (Clack-uh-muss) and many others likely utilized these lands, too. To our understanding, the Indigenous people used these lands for trade, subsistence, daily life, ceremony and gatherings. 

This land that we are gathered on has reached beyond colonization. The people still exist, practice their cultural and spiritual ways and continue to live on these lands. Since time immemorial these lands were honored and respected by the people who occupied them. The environment provides a variety of resources to sustain a healthy life such as salmon, elk, camas, clams, berries, cedar, and an abundance of water. The Indigenous people lived in a reciprocal relationship with both the land and other people. 

It is important to understand that Indigenous people populated this region prior to contact and had their own governments, communities, laws, spiritual practices, languages and culture. These things were disrupted with the colonization where the Indigenous people have endured treaties that are not honored, policies, court decisions, introduction to diseases and religion and the attempt to dominate not only the people, but the lands as well. Although the purpose of colonization was to eliminate the Indigenous people, it was not fully achieved and the people continue to show resiliency by existing and working to thrive by using their traditional healing, culture, spirituality and connectedness to the land.

In acknowledging that the people have continued to remain on or near these lands; it is equally important to acknowledge these lands we are on today remain sacred as they always have.

YWCA Clark County also acknowledges it was 400 years ago when the first enslaved Africans were stolen and forced to participate in the colonization of America and beyond. African slavery entered this region during the early days of settlement and significantly influenced the political and cultural landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Later African American settlement in this region was not only discouraged, but legally prohibited. The political climate drove African American families out of the region, and the continued hostility of white landowners made the region inaccessible to Black settlers. We recognize that these discriminatory actions have continued to contribute to the lack of diversity in this community. We acknowledge that institutional racism has deep roots which are still impacting the Black community today, and the ongoing struggle for reparations inspires our ongoing work.