Land Acknowledgement by the Clarke Museum
The Clarke Historical Museum sits on Wiyot land in Eureka on the shores of Humboldt Bay, the traditional homeland of the Wiyot peoples of the Wiyot tribe, Blue Lake Rancheria, and Bear River Rancheria. The land that Eureka sits on is known in the Wiyot language as Jaroujiji, where you sit and rest, while Humboldt Bay is known as Wigi, after a story of how the bay became a saltwater bay. Despite actions sanctioned by the local, State and Federal governments designed specifically to remove the Wiyot (and other indigenous peoples) from the land and destroy their cultural practices, Wiyot people remain on these lands and practice ceremonies central to the maintenance of their traditions, culture, and landscape. They continue to shape the history and knowledge of this place and are actively working to restore the land stolen from them.
In response to this, the Clarke Museum pledges to continue working towards a more socially just museum through educating the public on the past, present, and future of the museum’s Native collections and related programming, and returning stolen items that are found in the museum’s collections. We encourage the public to educate themselves about whose lands they live on and the cultural heritage of the people who have been forcibly removed (see https://native-land.ca/), along with the original place names in local languages.
In response to this, the Clarke Museum pledges to continue working towards a more socially just museum through educating the public on the past, present, and future of the museum’s Native collections and related programming, and returning stolen items that are found in the museum’s collections. We encourage the public to educate themselves about whose lands they live on and the cultural heritage of the people who have been forcibly removed (see https://native-land.ca/), along with the original place names in local languages.