Acknowledgements and Community Guidelines

Land & Labor Acknowledgements

Land Acknowledgement:

We acknowledge that Cal Poly Humboldt is located on the unceded lands of the Wiyot (Wee-aht) people, which includes the Wiyot Tribe, Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, and Blue Lake Rancheria. We honor the Wiyot and neighboring tribes - including the Hoopa (Hoo-pah), Yurok (YUR-rock), and more - by committing to building trusting, reciprocal, and long-lasting partnerships. We encourage all to learn about and engage with the history and thriving cultures of our local Indigenous communities to match acknowledgement with action. 

Labor Acknowledgement:

We (also) recognize that much of what we know of this country today - its culture, economic growth, and development - has been built through the involuntary labor of Indigenous people, enslaved Africans, Chinese and Japanese immigrants, and migrant workers of the Philippines, Mexico, and Central/South America. We acknowledge our collective debt to their labor and sacrifice. We commit to investing in, and developing deeper relations with, communities impacted by these inequities, aligning our actions with the values of this acknowledgement. 

See Also:

"What Good is a Land Acknowledgement?" - Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy (Native American Studies Dept. Chair, Cal Poly Humboldt). Visit here to learn more about her work.

Community Guidelines

Community guidelines create a shared foundation from which participants can engage in transformative work in spaces of social justice, equity, and inclusion. By explicitly naming these practices, our guidelines for healthy dialogue can help disrupt more traditional dynamics of power and marginalization and pave the way for collective healing, community, and systemic change. 

• Speak Individually, Speak Authentically
  • Focus on your personal journey by using “I” statements and sharing directly from your lived experience. Avoid making broad generalizations or blanket assumptions about political, religious, cultural, or identity groups. 
• Listen Actively and Share the Room
  • Practice “one mic, one voice” to ensure only one person speaks at a time and receives full attention. Be mindful of your participation: “make space, take space.”
• Assume Good Intent, but Account for Impact
  • Approach every interaction with the assumption that participants are speaking with the best intentions. If an offensive or factually inaccurate comment occurs, practice gentle but direct correction (rather than ignoring it). 
• Embrace Learning and Unlearning
  • Respect the unique opinions of others without judgment and hold yourself open to new perspectives. Lean into growth, discomfort, and diverse perspectives/preferences. 
• Honor Consent and Confidentiality
  • Treat personal stories, comments, and vulnerabilities shared within spaces as strictly private. Always secure explicit consent before sharing another participant’s story or experience outside of the group. 
• Personalize and Adapt These Guidelines
  • Recognize that creating an inclusive environment requires flexibility: these guidelines may not meet all the dynamic needs of your group. Collaborate with your group to regularly update, evolve, and personalize these guidelines to best serve your space.