WATCH: DNC Opens Summer Meetings With A ‘Land Acknowledgement’

As the Democratic Party’s approval rating sits at record lows — fueled largely by historically low favorability among male voters — the Democratic National Committee (DNC) signaled that it is far from done with “woke” politics by kicking off its summer meetings with a land acknowledgement.

Land acknowledgments consist of organizations or individuals beginning statements or events by “acknowledging” that the land they sit on belongs to Native Americans or other indigenous groups across the world. Such displays have become commonplace in progressive political circles in recent years.

The trend continued on Monday, when DNC Chair Ken Martin kicked off the event with a land acknowledgement.

“Let’s talk about the land for a second,” said Lindy Sowmick, treasurer of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) and self-styled “indigenous queer woman.”

“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.”

Sowmick went on to encourage attendees to value land acknowledgements as “more than just checking a box.”

“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 continued. “Honor the legacy of this land and its people by engaging today with each other with honesty, humility, respect and compassion.”

Monday’s annual summer meeting brought together more than 400 party officials from all 50 states in Martin’s home state of Minnesota.

Land acknowledgements are nothing new for the DNC, as they made sure to include one at the party’s 2024 election convention. During that event, speakers blamed the U.S. government for “forcibly remov[ing]” tribal folks from their land. ”

It is unclear whether “land acknowledgements” will help Democrats improve their favorability numbers or reverse the financial setbacks endured over the last several months.

According to a report from the New York Times, the organization’s financial situation has become so “bleak” that DNC executives are considering the prospect of borrowing money in order to pay off this year’s expenses. The crisis has been exasperated by lack of donations from major donors, many of whom have yet to engage in direct conversation with Martin.

“Fellow Democrats are grumbling that Mr. Martin, who quietly accepted a raise after taking the post, has been badly distracted by internal battles. So far, they say, he has been unable to help unite his party against Republicans, who control the federal government,” The Times reported.

Martin recently concluded a protracted struggle with former vice chair David Hogg, who threatened to use the DNC’s war chest to primary incumbent Democrats who are not sufficiently left-wing. Hogg was ultimately ousted under procedural rules, but not before Martin conceded that the spat had him considering the possibility of offering his resignation.

“No one knows who the hell I am, right? I’m trying to get my sea legs underneath of me and actually develop any amount of credibility so I can go out there and raise the money and do the job I need to to put ourselves in a position to win,” Martin said in a leaked Zoom recording, which was obtained by Politico.

“I don’t think you intended this,” the DNC chair told Hogg, “but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So it’s really frustrating.”