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Land Acknowledgment

NC State welcomes the use of an acknowledgment statement to honor North Carolina’s Indigenous communities and the land on which we reside.

Honoring Our Land

NC State University thanks Native community partners and all three university self-governing bodies — student, faculty and staff senates — for advocating to bring forth a community-driven land acknowledgment. Our statement is a vital step toward cultivating a culture of belonging for our Native students, faculty and staff.

Our Acknowledgment

NC State University is a land-grant institution for the people of North Carolina and respectfully acknowledges that the lands within and surrounding present-day Raleigh are the traditional homelands and gathering places of many Indigenous peoples, including eight federally and state-recognized tribes: Coharie, Eastern Band of Cherokee, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, Sappony and Waccamaw Siouan. We share an ongoing responsibility to safeguard these lands and to respect the sovereignty of the tribes and Indigenous nations residing in North Carolina. NC State honors all Indigenous peoples who have been and continue to be an integral part of our university’s history and culture.

This statement is authored by the NC State American Indian Advisory Council, Student Government and Native American Student Association, and formally adopted by the NC State Staff Senate, Faculty Senate and Student Senate.

North Carolina’s 8 Recognized Tribes

Connect with our state’s Native communities that shaped and stewarded the lands we know today.

Learn more
A table has eight flyers, one for each Indigenous tribe recognized in North Carolina.

Acknowledgment Authors

American Indian Advisory Council

The AIAC is both an internal working group and an external advisory committee that comprises students, faculty, staff, administrators, and tribal and community leaders.

Learn more

Student Government

Founded in 1921, NC State’s Student Government serves as the official voice of the student body on campus and works alongside administrators to address student concerns.

Get involved

Native American Student Association

Open to all, NASA is a student organization for anyone who wants to learn more about Native people and culture or find community with other Native students on campus.

Contact the association

Using the Acknowledgment

A land acknowledgment statement may be read at the beginning of events and gatherings to recognize and support Indigenous communities in North Carolina and our university. Members of the campus community are welcome to include the statement in presentations, syllabi and university websites to highlight our ongoing commitment to honoring the experience, history and culture of Native peoples, including Native students, faculty and staff.

When discussing and using the university land acknowledgment, we encourage providing a link to this page to further highlight and connect audiences with Native communities on and off campus.

Community Resources

For more information about the history and present-day experiences of Native people in North Carolina — or to find more ways to connect with the Native community at NC State — you can explore the links below.

Multicultural Student Affairs

Native American History at NC State

Native Education Forum

Native Space

Pronunciation Guide

Coharie (co-HAIR-ee) 

Eastern Band of Cherokee (cheh-ruh-kee)

Haliwa-Saponi (HA-lih-WAH  suh-PONY)

Lumbee (LUM-bee)

Meherrin (ma-HAIR-in)

Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation (OAK-uh-NEE-chee suh-PONY)

Sappony (suh-PONY)

Waccamaw Siouan (WOK-uh-ma Soo-uhn)