Over 100 school districts across the U.S. have adopted a program called “Land Acknowledgment Statements.”
The agenda behind this claims America was built on “stolen land” and genocide.
“These statements are found in at least 17 states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin), are being read at public events and school meetings,” said Parents Defending Education (PDE).
Land Acknowledgment is a formal statement intended to recognize Indigenous or Native peoples as the original inhabitants/stewards of the land a school district, staff, and students occupy.
A labor acknowledgment is a formal statement intended to recognize past contributions, primarily in the form of forced or exploited labor and slavery, mainly by people of color, which significantly contributed to the economic development of that region.
PDE says the problem with a Land Acknowledgment being put in fronts of student is, its virtue signaling.
“While often well intentioned, land acknowledgments act as a form of virtue signaling by institutions and leadership. Furthermore, these statements seed the idea in young students’ heads that they are occupying “stolen land” from Indigenous tribes. It also acts as a subversive action to undermine the idea of private property rights protected under the Fourth Amendment,” said the group.
PDE alkso says Land acknowledgments can also serve as a propaganda tool to advance a specific set of ideas, such as “Palestine” being “stolen land.”
“These acknowledgments are “ridiculous virtue signaling designed to teach kids to hate America.” The report highlights that many of these districts are failing to focus on core academics while promoting divisive rhetoric,” said Michele Exner, Senior Advisor at PDE.
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