The Democratic National Committee opened its annual summer meeting in Minneapolis with a “land acknowledgment” that included a statement asserting the United States perpetuates a system of suppression.
“Let’s talk about the land for a moment,” said Lindy Sowmick, treasurer of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) and a self-described “Indigenous queer woman,” after being introduced by DNC Chairman Ken Martin to deliver the acknowledgment.
“The DNC acknowledges and honors the Dakota Oyate – the Dakota people – who are the original stewards of the lands and waters of Minneapolis,” Sowmick continued. “The Dakota cared for the lands, lakes and the Wakpa Tanka – the ‘Great River,’ the Mississippi River – for thousands of years before colonization. This land was not claimed, or traded – it’s a part of a history of broken treaties and promises. And, in many ways, we still live in a system built to suppress Indigenous peoples’ cultural and spiritual history.”
In a video clip of her address, Sowmick encouraged members of the Democratic Party to see the “land acknowledgment” as more than just “the checking of a box.”
PLAY:
The DNC Summer Meeting begins with a land acknowledgment that claims Minneapolis, Minnesota is on stolen land. pic.twitter.com/zayYRl5w4r
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 25, 2025
“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.”
Like this week’s summer meeting, the Democratic National Committee’s national convention in Chicago ahead of the 2024 election also featured a land acknowledgment, in which speakers attributed responsibility to the U.S. government for “forcibly removing” tribal communities from their land.
The DNC’s 2024 party platform likewise included a land acknowledgment, placed on the first page immediately following the title page.
Meanwhile, A majority of Americans disapprove of the job Democrats in Congress are doing, according to a Marist/NPR/PBS News poll released Tuesday. Only 27% of registered voters approved of congressional Democrats’ performance, down from 39% in February 2024. Meanwhile, 58% disapproved of Democratic leadership in Congress, and 15% remained unsure, the survey found.
The latest federal filings show the Democratic National Committee ended July with $14 million in cash on hand, compared to $84 million reported by the Republican National Committee. For Democrats, the figure marks their lowest cash reserve in at least five years.
Also, the party is bleeding voters, as millions who used to identify as Democrats no longer do so. Republicans, meanwhile, have been gaining registered voters in nearly all parts of the country, further adding to Democrats’ woes.
