MOCAD aims to uphold, advocate for, and support the advancement of the sovereignty of Michigan’s twelve federally-recognized Indian nations and Indigenous communities and individuals who have lived here and live here now.

We operate on occupied territories called Waawiiyaataanong, named by the Anishinaabeg. These territories include the Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe (Chippewa), Odawa (Ottawa), and Bodewatomi (Potawatomi) peoples.

MOCAD commits to Indigenous communities in Waawiiyaataanong, their elders, past and present, and future generations. We recognize that all Indigenous peoples — here and beyond, whose Land is occupied — have and continue to be forcibly removed from their homelands. This is in solidarity with Black and Indigenous communities who continue to be systemically excluded and oppressed through the ongoing damaging effects of settler colonialism, genocide, and myths of white supremacy.

This land acknowledgment is part of an ongoing process supported by MOCAD and the Waawiiyaataanong Arts Council. For more information about this effort, visit Landback313.org