The Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday with an introduction reminding delegates how the convention is being held on land that was "forcibly removed" from Indigenous tribes.
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Tribal Council Vice-Chairman Zach Pahmahmie and Tribal Council Secretary Lorrie Melchior took to the stage at the start of the convention where they welcomed the Democratic Party to their "ancestral homelands."
"Here we are, together on our ancestral homelands of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and our sister Potawatomi nations. We also honor the spirit of the other tribal nations who traveled westward to this beautiful area. Welcome 2024 Democratic National Convention to our homelands. This land has and always will carry enormous importance to its original stewards, our ancestors and our present-day communities," Pahmahmie said.
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Vice-Chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Zach Pahmahmie speaks at the United Center, on Day One of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 19, 2024. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
He continued, "From time immemorial, our ancestors lived in the Great Lakes region. However, in 1849, an illegal auction by the U.S. government forcibly removed our tribe from our homeland. Since then, we have been working to reclaim it."
Pahmahmie celebrated the Department of the Interior allocating some ancestral lands in a trust and formally recognizing the tribe in Chicago.
"Finally, this year, the Department of the Interior placed some of our ancestral lands west of Chicago into a trust. Thanks to the resolve of our tribal community and the Biden-Harris administration, we reclaimed a piece of our home. We became the only federally recognized tribal nation in Illinois in 175 years. Together in our homelands, let's have a joyful, historic convention. Blessings to you all," Pahmahmie said.
The Democratic Party previously released its 2024 platform that similarly acknowledged Chicago being built on tribal land.
"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. 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," the platform read.
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The Democratic Party released a statement regarding Indigenous tribes early that day. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
It continued, "While we meet in Chicago, we also recognize and honor the traditional homelands of the Anishinaabe, also known as the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations. We acknowledge the many other tribes who consider this area their traditional homeland, including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo, and Mascouten. Democrats continue to support tribes as they advocate for the United States to uphold treaty and trust responsibilities."
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