On Jan. 9, the Yarmouth Town Council discussed the possibility of adopting a land acknowledgement to recognize the Wabanaki people and honor their connection to the land on which the town was built.
“It’s a meaningful step toward fostering understanding and respect for our region’s history and its original inhabitants,” said Yarmouth Town Councilor Heather Abbott in an email.
The Operations Committee meeting discussion was the first time the Yarmouth Town Council has considered a land acknowledgment for the town. There are already land acknowledgements in other materials associated with the town, including in the Comprehensive Plan that was approved in 2024, and posted in several open spaces in Yarmouth through a Parks and Lands acknowledgement.
In November, the federal government recognized the Wabanaki name Pumgustuck for the first waterfall on the Royal River. The falls are now labeled Pumgustuck on federal maps and in U.S. Geological Survey databases.
Yarmouth Town Councilors Abbott, Zoe Wolf and David Craig brought the discussion to the council after they were approached by community members and members of the Steering Committee for the Yarmouth Community Alliance for Racial Equity about having a land acknowledgement at the town level.
“Land acknowledgements are an important part of a larger conversation about land stewardship, our history, and our ongoing responsibility for each other and our environment,” said Wolf in an email.
Also under consideration is how and where the land acknowledgement would be displayed if the council endorses it. Some places where a town land acknowledgement could be posted include Town Hall, the town website, and town parks and trails, said Abbott.
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