We acknowledge that the many venues First Floor creates within sit on Native land. This area is the traditional homeland of the people of the Council of Three Fires, including the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa. Though for over two centuries, Native Nations have been forcibly removed from this territory, we must acknowledge that this land continues to be a site of gathering and healing for more than a dozen other Tribal Nations and remains home to over 100,000 tribal members in the state of Illinois.
In opening by acknowledging the traditional Indigenous inhabitants of this land, we honor the reciprocal relationship with the land built on a foundation of respect rather than exploitation, and work to dismantle colonial frameworks of learning and making.
This acknowledgement is a living piece of our process, changing regularly as we learn new best practices, and we welcome you to learn more about the land you are on as well as to engage us with any feedback.