Land acknowledgement

ArtWorking recognizes that our studio occupies ancestral Ho-Chunk land, a place their nation has called Teejop (day-JOPE) since time immemorial. In an 1832 treaty, the Ho-Chunk were forced to cede this territory. Decades of ethnic cleansing followed when both the federal and state government repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, sought to forcibly remove the Ho-Chunk from Wisconsin.

We acknowledge the circumstances that led to the forced removal of the Ho-Chunk people, and honor their legacy of resistance and resilience. This history of colonization has implications for the work that we do at ArtWorking, and we recognize the inherent dehumanization and suffering that are the results of the colonization process. To be involved in the social justice work that we do at ArtWorking without acknowledging how we have come to occupy the land our studio sits on would be a betrayal of our work.

To this end, we recognize and respect the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation and the other 11 Native Nations within the boundaries of the state of Wisconsin. We ask all of you to join us in this acknowledgement as we express our gratitude for the Ho-Chunk people their proud legacy.