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Northshore board seeks more accessible, action‑oriented land acknowledgment; plans community collaboration
Summary
At a board retreat, members and staff discussed updating the district's land acknowledgment to be more student- and community-facing, to include actions and resources, and to involve local Indigenous partners in drafting and follow-up.
The Northshore School District board discussed updating its land acknowledgment during a board retreat, with staff recommending a shift toward more student‑facing language, accompanying resources and actions, and direct partnership with local Indigenous educators and families.
Dr. Ava Thomas said Lauren Nabahi, the district's Native American Education Program coordinator, "said that there's nothing outwardly wrong with the current land acknowledgement," and stressed that "the land acknowledgement isn't the statement in itself, it really is the action behind it." Dr. Thomas urged centering community voices and making the acknowledgment meaningful in classrooms as well as at board meetings.
Why it matters: Board members said the current statement is often too formal for students and families and does not always convey what the district will do in response. Several directors noted examples from nearby districts, and staff warned that listing specific tribes can be legally and politically complex in the North Shore area because of federated and nonfederated recognition differences.
Board members and staff outlined a package of next steps: partner directly with Lauren Nabahi and other local Indigenous community members to review language; produce student‑facing materials and videos; create classroom resources and reflection prompts to accompany the statement; and continue reading an updated statement aloud at board meetings while highlighting short examples of related classroom or school work.
Dr. Thomas proposed student‑facing videos and classroom slide decks and said communications would support production. "We could have students, potentially families, community members who are native in our district community who are featured in this video," she said, adding that videos would be paired with reflection questions and classroom activities.
Board members raised several cautions and preferences. One director said some school acknowledgments felt "performative" and recommended the district prioritize actions and partnerships that lead to sustained change rather than only revising wording. Another director pointed to Spokane's "people's acknowledgment" approach as a model and asked that the district consider whether a similar framing would be appropriate.
Staff also cautioned against enumerating tribes in the public statement without careful consultation. A staff member noted the district's prior work with Tulalip community members and a tribal elder who advised on acknowledgment wording and said that listing tribes can cause harm if federally recognized and nonfederally recognized groups are treated inconsistently.
The board agreed there was broad support for the ideas presented. President Castell signaled no opposition, and Dr. Thomas said she would schedule a follow‑up meeting with Lauren Nabahi to refine a recommended package and timeline and report back to the board.
Next steps: staff will convene follow‑up conversations with Lauren Nabahi and other Indigenous partners, develop student and classroom resources, and return to the board with a timeline and materials for review.
