Anger continued over removal of land acknowledgement at school board meeting.

The removal of land acknowledgements and the installation of a new statement meant to unify continues to divide, as Native Alaskans and others are still reeling over the decision by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD) school board to remove the Indigenous land acknowledgements and signs within MSBSD schools and buildings.

During the November 19 MSBSD school board meetings, public comment period was dominated by people speaking out against the decision.

Andrew Regner, Chairman of the IEA Parent Advisory Committee, read from a letter from parents in the Title VI Indian Education Program (IEA), underscoring the importance of incorporating and maintaining land acknowledgement within the district’s educational practices. “We were dismayed at the unceremonial removal of the land acknowledgement signs from the school buildings in October,” he said, adding that the signs were paid for by grants and gifted to the schools.

Regner said the proposed new land acknowledgements were not developed in collaboration with the IEA PAC and that the new verbiage misses the intent of land acknowledgements altogether. “Land acknowledgements are not simply ceremonial statement. They represent a respectful learning environment that directly supports the social and emotional well-being of Indigenous students.”

A former school board member, Debbie Rutherford, the first Alaskan Native to serve in the position. She said the recent actions were taken with little to no input from the community.

“Certainly, you didn’t ask the thousands of Indigenous people living in the Mat-Su Borough,” she said.

She relayed her own experiences as a student in the MSBSD, where she was one of two Alaska Native students in her class and says she heard “snide comments and drunken Native jokes.”

“Those simple words, which cost you nothing, created so much healing in our community. By stripping them away, you have ripped off the band aid of an old wound and hurt many in our community, including me.”

“The first time I heard a land acknowledgement, (it) brought tears to my eyes because it was like, oh my God, they’re actually paying attention,” said Rayne White, who applauded the previous board for their decisions, then admonished the current board for its decision to end the acknowledgement.

“The decisions you make can be so quickly and easily dismissed without thought for the young Indigenous people.”

Alaska Native students make up 7.3% of the student population in the MSBSD, which is roughly 1,387 students. Within the MSBSD, the district offers an Alaska Native/American Indian Education program and supports programs like the Native Youth Olympics.

The district recently welcomed the Knik Charter School, which is operated by the Knik Tribe and offers a curriculum grounded in Alaska Native culture and values, and is open to all members of the public.

The idea for ending land acknowledgments was first brought up at the June 4 school board meeting, the last school board meeting of the 2024/2025 school year. During board member comments, school board President Kathy McCollum brought the topic up after speaking about the many high school graduations she had attended.

“I heard numerous discussions about that and questions about that…I looked into it and it’s not a policy. It’s just something that’s been happening,” she said before asking other board members if they had anything to say about the use of such acknowledgements.

At the time, some school board members felt the statements were divisive. School board member Andrew Shane, who stated he is Alaska Native, said it re-opens old wounds.

“The land acknowledgement for me as an Alaska Native, I struggled with this since the time it’s come out,” he stated in June. “I know that there can be differences between the public on their feelings on it, but for me, it just feels like continuing to try and tear open an old wound.”

Other school board members during that same meeting said that the land acknowledgements were perhaps meant to be unifying but they felt were ultimately dividing people.

“I feel like in my mind, that this probably was meant to unify people but it feels like it’s become more divisive,” said McCollum.

School board member Kendall Kruse echoed McCollum’s statements, saying that she thought the feedback she’d heard was the land acknowledgements at graduation ceremonies was less about the ceremony, the individuals, and their achievements. “I think that it’s really hard to unify people—we’re all so different—but that should be the goal. And celebrating the students that are there for what they’ve achieved, I think that would be a better use of our time.”

“I don’t see how saying something like this does any good for the Alaska Native community. This is our land; we are all one together, and saying things that create more of a divide does nothing but hurt,” said Shane, who said he would be grateful to see the removal of land acknowledgements and instead a continued focus on education.

In subsequent agendas, the topic was not presented, nor was there an opportunity for public testimony nor a board vote before the removal of land acknowledgements and signs.

Now, administrators who wish to acknowledge Alaska Native history at events can use a “shared histories and service recognition” statement that honors explorers, settlers, colonists, the Dena’ina and Ahtna peoples, members of the military, first responders, educators, and healthcare workers, district officials said in a statement.

In part, it reads: “The Matanuska-Susitna region has been shaped by many people over time — from early explorers, American settlers, and colonists to the Dena’ina and Ahtna peoples who lived in this area before modern development. Together, their histories form the foundation of our vibrant and growing communities.”

It also said a statement of thanks to the many individuals who serve and protect the community each day that includes first responders, military, and educators. “Your dedication and sacrifice make gatherings like this possible, and we are deeply grateful.”

The acknowledgments only came to be five years ago. It was also at that time Wasilla High School, Wasilla city officials, and students worked with members of the Knik Tribe to create a new Warrior logo to more accurately depict the Dena’ina Athabascan indigenous Alaskans it represents.

The previous land statement acknowledged that schools reside on the ancestral land of the Dena’ina and Ahtna people who have lived in the area for thousands of years.

During board member comments at the November 19 meeting, Shane, who was not able to be at the meeting in person, thanked the people who came out and shared their thoughts “while I can’t tell you that I agree with everything said tonight, I do stand by my words and actions.