Lindy Sowmick, Treasurer for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota claimed during her "land acknowledgment" that the U.S. perpetuates a system of suppression against Indigenous peoples. (DNC/Pool)
Sowmick encouraged members of the Democratic Party to see the "land acknowledgment" as more than just "the checking of a box."
"As Democrats, I ask of every one of you to not allow land acknowledgments like these to simply be the checking of a box – be curious, ask questions, ensure our native neighbors are heard and work in partnership with your Indigenous communities," Sowmick urged the crowd Monday. "Honor the legacy of this land and its people by engaging today with each other with honesty, humility, respect and compassion."
Monday's comments came in front of more than 400 party officials from all 50 states who gathered at a downtown Minneapolis hotel for the annual summer meeting.
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Similar to the summer meeting, the DNC's national party convention in Chicago, held ahead of the 2024 election, also included a "land acknowledgment." During that recital the speakers blamed the U.S. government for "forcibly remov[ing]" tribal folks from their land.
Meanwhile, the DNC's 2024 party platform also included such an acknowledgment on its first page, following the title page.
Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin addresses party members at the DNC's summer meeting, on Aug. 25, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Paul Steinhauser - Fox News )
"The Democratic National Committee wishes to acknowledge that we gather together to state our values on lands that have been stewarded through many centuries by the ancestors and descendants of Tribal Nations who have been here since time immemorial," the platform's acknowledgment stated.
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"We honor the communities native to this continent, and recognize that our country was built on Indigenous homelands. We pay our respects to the millions of Indigenous people throughout history who have protected our lands, waters, and animals."
Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/watch-dnc-opens-summer-meeting-land-acknowledgment-claims-us-suppresses-indigenous-history