Land Acknowledgement
At this place called Shenandoah University, we respectfully acknowledge that our name and lands are taken from Indigenous peoples and their ways of life. As members of the university community, we recognize that we live, work, and learn on this land; we honor its original stewards and their living descendants.
As critical, reflective, and intentional thinkers, we will not ignore the painful history of stolen lands, forced removal, and the elimination of Indigenous peoples and cultures. In the spirit of community, we commit to confronting the past and recognizing the perpetual impacts of colonization. We embrace Indigenous resilience, cultural pride, wisdom, self-determination, and sovereignty. As ethical, compassionate citizens, we value and celebrate our collective diversity and will work to build better futures for all peoples.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Shenandoah University’s mission statement, like its land acknowledgment, emphasizes critical reflection, ethical responsibility, and respect for diverse communities. The university cultivates critical, reflective thinkers and ethical, compassionate citizens committed to responsible contributions within its community, the nation, and the world.
By honoring the original stewards of the land and their descendants, Shenandoah University models compassion and ethical engagement in its relationships with historically marginalized groups. By recognizing the painful history of stolen lands and the lasting impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples, the university demonstrates institutional self-reflection and moral accountability, putting its mission into practice.
Additionally, the acknowledgment strongly connects to the university’s core value of respect for diverse cultures, experiences, and perspectives. It recognizes the resilience, wisdom, and cultural pride of Indigenous peoples, and it affirms the importance of valuing these perspectives within academia.
Acknowledging the historic Native American presence on the lands forming the campus of Shenandoah University actively addresses the historical erasure and ongoing invisibility of Indigenous peoples whose histories and lasting connections to this land have too often been marginalized. It is never too late, nor too early, to make an institutional effort to honor native communities as the original stewards of the region and to assert that their cultural, spiritual, and geographic ties remain.
Land acknowledgments respond to calls for truth, reconciliation, and justice, serving as an entry point for deeper learning and genuine partnerships with native communities. They remind us that Native Americans continue to contribute to our society, encourage us to learn about the region’s rich pre-colonial past, and foster a more honest and inclusive sense of local, regional, and national identity. In preparation for the land acknowledgement, Shenandoah University actively engaged with Virginia tribes to learn about indigenous perspectives through dialogue, service projects, cultural events, ceremonies, and engagement in archival and oral history research.
No one knows for sure. While the name Shenandoah is long associated with a place, scholars have traced it to different historical and linguistic origins.
One theory is that the name comes from Chief John Shenandoah/Skendadoah of the Oneida, part of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy that had increased presence in the Shenandoah Valley at the time of major colonial expansion in the area in the late 18th century. Chief Shenandoah was honored for siding with rebels in the Revolutionary War and later achieved sovereignty for his tribe in the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua.
According to the Oneida tribe, Shenandoah was coined as such after the “decline and destabilization” of the Conestoga-Susquehanna tribe that migrated into the region in the 17th century. According to the tribe, their migration to the Shenandoah Valley occurred as a result of attacks by Virginia and Maryland militias in their places of origin. What the longest associated (Siouxan) people of the region called the area may be lost to time.
Another possibility for the name Shenandoah comes from the Iroquois word for meadow or plain, skahentowane. This word has also been interpreted as “big meadow” or the “river of high mountains” or “silver water.”
Zynodoa is another name associated with the valley that may be an alternate spelling of Shenandoh. It first is noted in the 17th century travel accounts of John Lederer. Jorontore is also potentially an early name of the valley or an alternate form of Shenandoah.
A popular, local interpretation of Shenandoah is that it means the “daughter of the stars.” According to anthropologist Dr. Carole Nash and her study of the Shenandoah Valley, this interpretation of the word appeared in 19th and early 20th century histories of the region but not beforehand.
Shenandoah University historian Dr. Warren Hofstra reflects on the difficulty of knowing for sure the meaning of Shenandoah in his short essay on the topic.
The following tribes are officially recognized by Virginia: Cheroenhaka (Nottoway), Chickahominy, Eastern Chickahominy, Mattaponi, Monacan, Nansemond, Nottoway of Virginia, Pamunkey, Patawomeck, Rappahannock, and Upper Mattaponi.
The following is from a pronunciation guide of the United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc.
| Tribe Name | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| Cheroenhaka (Nottoway) | (Che-ro-en-ha-ka) |
| Chickahominy | (chik-uh-hom-uh-ne) |
| Eastern Chickahominy | (chik-uh-hom-uh-nee) |
| Mattaponi | (mat-ta-po-NIGH) |
| Monacan Indian Nation | (mon-un-kuhn) |
| Nansemond | (nan-see-mon) |
| Nottoway of Virginia | (not-uh-wey) |
| Pamunkey | (puh-munhg-kee) |
| Patawomeck | (Pat-owmeck or Pato-mack) |
| Rappahannock | (rap-uh-han-uhk) |