Shattered Globe Theatre’s Land Acknowledgement
Shattered Globe Theatre acknowledges that our performance and rehearsal spaces are in Chicago, Illinois, the traditional homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations, as well as the Myaamia (or Miami), Hoocąk (or Ho-Chunk), Menominee, Sauk and Meskwaki (or Fox) Peoples. This land has been a site of trade, travel, gathering, and healing for countless Indigenous Nations since time immemorial.
A succession of treaties from the United States federal and state governments from 1795 to 1833, including the Treaty of St. Louis, forcibly expropriated from Native peoples the unceded land and homes that Theater Wit now occupies. While there are currently no federally recognized tribes in the state of Illinois, Chicago remains home to one of the largest and most diverse urban Indigenous communities in the United States. Members of this community continue to contribute to the life of this city, celebrate their heritage, practice traditions, and care for the land and waterways.
Shattered Globe is committed to learning about and addressing Indigenous histories and sovereignty movements, past, present, and future. We invite our audiences to join us in these endeavors.
Black Labor Acknowledgement
Shattered Globe acknowledges that the United States, as a culture, an economy, and a polity, was substantially built upon the forced labor of enslaved Black Africans and their descendants. These injustices, and the systematic anti-Blackness that perpetuates them, live on in many other forms and structures within the contemporary United States. SGT commits itself to antiracism, to consistently identifying, describing, and opposing racism wherever it may appear, within and beyond our immediate theater community. Moreover, we pledge to rectify racial inequalities and promote racial equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level and within every sphere of our influence and participation in the Chicago theater community. We invite our audiences to join us in these endeavors.
Additional Resources
See below for a map of Chicago by Decolonial Atlas with Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe Language) names for the spaces we currently occupy (The red marker shows Theater Wit’s location on the map).
You can also watch this Tik Tok from an Anishinaabe and 2spirit creator for pronunciations of the names of the Great Lakes in Anishinaabemowin. Please note that this is not the only Indigenous language of the region, but it is a great starting tool in decolonizing our relationship with this land.
Pronunciations, courtesy of the Newberry Library
Ojibwe (oh-JIB-way), Odawa (oh-DAH-wah, Potawatomi (pah-tuh-WAH-tuh-mee), Myaamia (me-YAH-me-ah), Ho-Chunk (HOE-chunk), Menominee (meh-NOM-ih-nee), Meskwaki (meh-skw-AH-key)
Indigenous-Led Organizations to Learn About and Support
American Indian Health Service of Chicago
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
Other Relevant Organizations
Chicago Community Jail Support
Resources and Further Reading
A timeline of treaties and key events curated by WBEZ Chicago
Chicago: an Ojibwe Perspective – Decolonial Atlas
In Likely First, Chicago Suburb Of Evanston Approves Reparations For Black Residents – NPR
Imprints: The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and the City of Chicago – book by John N. Low
If you are associated with an organization or would like to share resources that you believe should be included on this list, please fill out our contact form!
Visit our social media pages to see the work of local Black and Indigenous artists that we amplify and support.
Visit our transparency page to see updates about our anti-racism work at Shattered Globe.
