Julia Barksdale is a Boston architect and co-leader of Utile's Beyond Land Acknowledgements effort. In this session, she'll review the history of the land acknowledgement, its common usage by companies for performative advocacy, and tactics for leveraging it to generate meaningful impact for the greater Indigenous community. Join us to explore internal research conducted by the Beyond Land Acknowledgements team regarding its specific role in the AEC industry. Plus, learn about a framework your firm can adopt that outlines a spectrum of impact scales, including monetary donation, volunteerism, and pro bono design work.
Learning Objectives
- Discover what a land acknowledgement is, its intended purpose, and its short-term impacts.
- Explore the meaning of optical allyship and how it can harm the communities it targets.
- Assess your own capacities for hosting meaningful interactions with local Indigenous communities.
- Discuss the inherent shortcomings of the AEC industry in Indigenous advocacy and land back movements along with tactics for addressing these shortcomings at the office scale.