Land Recognition Ceremony

 The public is invited to take part in a Land Recognition Ceremony to be held on Tuesday, November 15 at 4 p.m. This will be conducted at the Moses Lake Civic Center, and include the reading of the Land Acknowledgement Statement, a presentation of Chief Moses and the Moses-Columbia Tribe with a reception to follow. The event will be streamed virtually for the community through various social platforms.

Karneetsa Chapter, NSDAR along with the City of Moses Lake, the City of Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, Big Bend Community College, Moses Lake School District, and others, would like to recognize the original stewards of the land, the Moses-Columbia Tribe. These entities have been working in partnership with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation for the past two years to successfully release a Land Acknowledgement Statement. This Land Recognition Ceremony is in honor of Native American Heritage Month which is dedicated each November. 

“We are excited to recognize this monumental event, occurring 150 years after the Colville Indian Reservation was established in 1872 which relocated 12 aboriginal tribes, including the Moses-Columbia Tribe,” says Karneetsa Chapter Regent, Stephanie Massart. “We are honored to be a part of the collaborative efforts of the tribe and various organizations seeking partnership through: responsibility, reciprocity, respect and relationships. We hope this will be the gateway for future endeavors through which we will learn more about the original stewardship of the land.” 

Any businesses, organizations or groups interested in being included on a list as partners of the acknowledgement can email: [email protected]. Individuals interested in taking part of the ceremony, or with questions can contact the City Manager’s office for further information.