Land Acknowledgement
“My grandmother, my mother and I believe that when song, dancing and ceremony stop so does the earth.”
Kanyon “Coyote Woman” Sayers-Roods
In pursuit of New Conservatory Theatre Center’s ongoing mission to effect personal and societal growth, enlightenment, and change, we’ve learned the importance of acknowledging the original inhabitants of what we now know as San Francisco. We recognize that Ramaytush was the first language of this land as spoken by its original peoples, who are the original stewards and understand the interconnectedness of all things, maintaining harmony with nature since time immemorial. Our theatre is located on stolen land of the Ramaytush Ohlone Peoples, the original peoples of what is now the San Francisco Peninsula, and the greater Bay Area is the ancestral territory of the Miwok, Yokuts, Patwin, and other Ohlone to whom we owe a collective debt. We have directly benefited from being settlers on this land and we are privileged to call it our artistic home.
Through our own research and in-depth conversations with local Indigenous Generalized Specialist “Kanyon Coyote Woman” Sayers-Roods, we’ve gained a deeper understanding of the many travesties towards Native Americans over hundreds of years that have led to a history of displacement, gentrification, and cultural erasure which informs the context and demographics of our area to this day.
Storytelling is the core of theatre, and telling the story of the land we occupy is essential. This statement is one small step in recognizing the original stewards of this land and paying our respect to these Indigenous communities while educating our patrons, artisans, teachers, and students. More importantly are our actions that follow, which will include but are not limited to: uplifting local Indigenous communities, businesses, and artists, offering space and resources to Indigenous organizations, and being inclusive in the stories we tell and how we tell them.
Colonization is ongoing and so must our efforts be to engage, repair, and learn as an organization. We encourage you to visit the reference links below to better understand the legacy of the Ramaytush Ohlone people and the history of this land. Please join us in acknowledging and honoring their ancestors, their elders, and their communities.