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About UAS

Land Acknowledgement

Honoring the Indigenous stewards of the lands and waters of Southeast Alaska since time immemorial.

Extended Regional Acknowledgment

Our campuses reside on the unceded territories of the Áakʼw Ḵwáan, Taantʼá Ḵwáan, and Sheet’ká Ḵwáan on Lingít Aaní, also known as Juneau, Ketchikan, and Sitka, Alaska.

We acknowledge that Lingít Peoples have been stewards of the land on which we work and reside since time immemorial, and we are grateful for that stewardship and incredible care. We also recognize that our campuses are adjacent to the ancestral home of the X̱aadas (Haida) and Ts’msyen (Tsimshian) peoples and we commit to serving them with equity and care.

We recognize the series of unjust actions that attempted to remove them from their land, which includes forced relocations and the burning of villages. We honor the relationships that exist between Lingít, X̱aadas, and Ts’msyen peoples, and their sovereign relationships to their lands, their languages, their ancestors, and future generations.

We aspire to work toward healing and liberation, recognizing our paths are intertwined in the complex histories of colonization in Alaska. We acknowledge that we arrived here by listening to the peoples, elders, and lessons from the past, and these stories carry us as we weave a healthier world for future generations.

Campus-Specific Acknowledgements

Juneau Campus

Resides on the unceded territory of the Áakʼw Ḵwáan on Lingít Aaní (also known as Juneau and Douglas, Alaska). We acknowledge their care since time immemorial and recognize our adjacency to the ancestral home of the Tʼaaḵú Ḵwáan, and neighboring X̱aadas and Ts’msyen peoples.

Email Signature:"Our campus resides on the unceded territory of the Áak'w Kwáan on Lingít Aaní, also known as Juneau and Douglas, Alaska, which also houses neighboring Xaadas and Ts’msyen peoples."

Ketchikan Campus

Resides on Lingít Aaní, acknowledging and giving honor to the traditional landowners, the Taantʼá Ḵwáan and Saanyaa Ḵwáan Tlingit elders. Serves Revillagigedo Island, Prince of Wales, and outlying southern Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian islands.

Email Signature:"Our campus resides on the unceded territories of the Taant'á Kwáan and Saanya Kwáan on Lingít Aaní, also known as Ketchikan, Alaska, and serves Lingit, Xaadas and Ts’msyen peoples."

Sitka Campus

Resides on the unceded territory of the Sheet’ká Ḵwáan on Lingít Aaní (also known as Sitka, Alaska). Acknowledges their care since time immemorial, their sovereign relationships, and commits to serving neighboring X̱aadas and Ts’msyen peoples with equity.

Email Signature:"Our campus resides on the unceded territories of the Sheet'ká Kwáan on Lingít Aaní, also known as Sitka, Alaska, which also houses neighboring Xaadas and Ts’msyen peoples."

What Does This Acknowledgment Mean?

At the University of Alaska Southeast, a land acknowledgment is not just a formal statement. It is a living commitment to decolonization, inclusion, and representation. We weave the traditional knowledge, history, art, and languages of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples into our academic curriculums, campus spaces, and community engagement.

By naming the traditional boundaries and recognizing the histories of forced village relocations and village burnings, we commit to institutional accountability, equity, and partnership with tribal nations across Alaska.