MacDowell's Land Acknowledgement
The view of Monadnock, which derives from an Abenaki word taken to mean mountain standing alone, from the MacDowell amphitheater in autumn. (Joanna Eldredge Morrissey photo)
MacDowell’s staff and board acknowledge that our residency program takes place in Wabanaki, the Dawnland, on the traditional homelands of the Western Abenaki people, on the Pegontagok River, and recognize the hardships they still endure as a result of the loss of their un-ceded land. We also acknowledge that our New York office is located on Lenape land. We lament the devastation of centuries of warfare and colonialism, and join voices within our field of artist communities calling for a necessary illumination of the history of and investment in the future of the Indigenous peoples of North America.
We acknowledge the continued presence and sovereignty of Indigenous communities and nations today and thank our Indigenous colleagues and Fellows for their goodwill in our ongoing efforts to collaborate in the challenges of decolonizing the arts.
MacDowell will begin with efforts to understand the history of the Indigenous people of our region, through outreach to local and national Indigenous communities, and by evaluating and adjusting our residency programming to be safe and welcoming to all Indigenous artists. Art is a powerful tool for imagination, reckoning, and change, and MacDowell is committed to offering a place for such art to be made.