Acknowledging Indigenous Lands In Your Wedding Ceremony
Please note that this blog was updated on 11/11/23.
Land Acknowledgments, Indigenous Solidarity, and Right Relationship
A land acknowledgment is a practice that honors the indigenous peoples who lived on and cared for the land long before it was colonized. It recognizes them as the original stewards of the place we now inhabit and aims to counter the erasure of their history, culture, and ongoing presence.
I started doing this in wedding ceremonies long before it was trendy, performative, or widely practiced—not as spiritual showmanship or social posturing, but as a bow to the living history beneath our feet and to the native peoples whose presence, culture, and care for the land persist despite centuries of dispossession.
In addition to including land acknowledgments in my wedding ceremonies, I spent years Shummi paying land tax (in California, where I live, and in New York, where I grew up), donating money to rematriation and land back initiatives, and gently educating people in my sphere of influence on days like Columbus Day, when the pain of ongoing marginalization feels especially sharp.
I have also sat in sweat lodges, prayed in tipis, learned Native American prayer songs, and been entrusted with Native American teachings that have shaped my life in profound and beautiful ways. All this to say that I have put genuine energy and intention into being in right relationship with the people and the land.
Why I Stopped Doing Land Acknowledgements
Following the deadliest attack against Jews since the Holocaust on October 7, 2023, and the terrifying global surge in Jew hatred that erupted in its aftermath, I experienced something I did not expect: a heartbreak and rupture in my relationship to some of the very causes I had long supported.
I witnessed “land back” movements celebrating or justifying the murder of civilians, including peace activists, festival goers, women, children, and the elderly. This shattered something in me.
In late 2023, I stopped offering land acknowledgments in my wedding ceremonies. Not because I no longer believed in acknowledgement or indigenous stewardship, but because I didn’t want anyone to confuse my actions with an endorsement of violence or ideological extremism.
I began reflecting more deeply on whether it was possible to continue this practice in a way that stayed true to my original intent, which was not violent resistance or harmful rhetoric.
This is not a blog about antisemitism, but it is important to acknowledge how a practice that I did in a spirit of reverence and reciprocity began to feel entangled with forms of resistance I deeply oppose.
I know in my bones what it means to belong to a people with a history of displacement and persecution. That knowledge lives alongside my deep and enduring respect for the indigenous communities of Turtle Island.
My hope is that land acknowledgments—and other practices intended to support native communities—are never distorted as a permission slip for “resistance by any means necessary.”
Examples of land acknowledgments:
“We uplift, honor, and speak the traditional names of the land and people to remind this community and all other visitors, that these peoples did, and do still exist. Without their committed stewardship, we would not be enjoying this place today.” — Seeing Sovereignty
“We gratefully acknowledge the Native Peoples on whose ancestral homelands we gather, as well as the diverse and vibrant Native communities who make their home here today.” — National Museum of the American Indian / Native Knowledge 360°
Additional resources:
For those of you who would like to learn more, I have consolidated several resources below for your convenience:
How to simply and skillfully include a land acknowledgment in your wedding ceremony:
When I am performing a wedding ceremony - because of the context - my land acknowledgments are generally simple and succinct, unless a couple asks me to make it more elaborate. I tend to include it when I give thanks for the natural world (given that 99% of the ceremonies I officiate take place outdoors.) I might say something like:
“As we stand in this beautiful place today, we recognize that we are guests here, and we acknowledge the [tribal name,] recognizing that without their dedicated stewardship -both in the past and in the present - we would be unable to enjoy this beautiful place today.”
Since I am in California, I reference this digital land map to help me acknowledge the correct tribes and territories. The site itself is a work in progress, and there is a disclaimer on the homepage that reads:
“This map does not represent or intend to represent official or legal boundaries of any Indigenous nations. To learn about definitive boundaries, contact the nations in question. Also, this map is not perfect — it is a work in progress with tons of contributions from the community. Please send us fixes if you find errors.”
Planning to include a land acknowledgment in your ceremony?
If you’re planning to include a land acknowledgment in your wedding ceremony I suggest that you ask yourself:
Do my words match my actions, or are they simply performative?
Are there additional, more concrete ways of supporting native communities in my city, county, or state?
Am I passionately championing land back initiatives thousands of miles across the world, but continuing to benefit from living on “colonized land” in my own home country, and have no intention of giving my land back?
Have I taken time to really learn about Indigenous realities in this country?