Land Acknowledgement Statement

At their May 18, 2021, meeting, the Oak Park Unified School District Board of Education approved the above Land Acknowledgment Statement, which formally recognizes and pays respect to the indigenous communities. The statement acknowledges that the land on which our schools and facilities rest has been home to the Ventureño Chumash indigenous communities for at least the last 13,000 years.  It is intended to raise awareness regarding the enduring relationship between Indigenous people and the land.

Mr. Alan Salazar, an educator, visionary, and spiritual advisor of Chumash and Tatavian Native American descent, was involved in this discussion. The Chumash tribal leadership approved the statement. Mr. Salazar is a leading cultural resource consultant for the Ventura Indian Educational Consortium.

California is home to 109 federally recognized Tribes, more than 70 non-federally-recognized Tribes, and three of the nation's largest urban Indian communities in San Diego, the Bay Area, and Los Angeles County. The state has 30,282 students who identify as American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN). The majority of the AIAN students attend public school classrooms on tribal lands and in urban centers. ⁠

This Land Acknowledgment is published on every regular Board Agenda. A plaque has been installed at Oak Park High School. 

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