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Thurston County commissioners to share revised land acknowledgment with tribes for input
Summary
Chair Ty Mentzer presented a concise revision to the county's land acknowledgment and commissioners agreed to share it with tribal leaders for feedback before any formal adoption.
Thurston County Chair Ty Mentzer presented a revised land acknowledgment during the board's May 21, 2025, meeting and asked the county to share the draft with tribal representatives for input.
Mentzer, who said he originally drafted the land acknowledgment, described his goals as making the statement "very concise, but as meaningful as possible and stripped of cliche." He said he added a closing sentence he adapted from Brown University that he summarized as working "together to build our future with truth." He asked the board whether staff could share the revised text with tribal scribe(s) and gather suggested revisions.
Commissioner Caroline Mejia said she liked the proposed revision and recommended sharing it with tribal councils to seek their opinion and “buy in.” Vice Chair Wayne Fournier and Commissioner Klaus also expressed support for sharing the draft with tribes. County Manager Leonard Hernandez said he would share the draft and gather revisions.
The board did not take a formal vote at the meeting. Mentzer said the timing aligned with upcoming meetings with tribal councils, and the next step is to circulate the revised text to those tribal representatives and return to the board with any suggested changes.
