SACRAMENTO, CA – The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians have partnered with the Sacramento Kings, making them the one of the few NBA teams to feature a land acknowledgement at games. Chairwoman Regina Cuellar created a video, playing at Kings home games at Golden 1 Center, recognizing the Indigenous peoples whose ancestral lands the arena and city of Sacramento occupy.
“We are grateful to the Sacramento Kings for this meaningful partnership and opportunity to share our history and our enduring connection to this land,” said Chairwoman Cuellar. “As the original inhabitants of Sacramento, we acknowledge the land we are sharing at this very moment is the unceded homeland of our Nísem Péwinan ancestors, and neighboring Nisenan, Patwin, and Miwok people. I welcome you to our homelands.”
The message acknowledges that Golden 1 Center and the city of Sacramento rest on the tribe’s traditional and ancestral Nisenan homelands. The recognition honors the unique and continuing relationship that exists between their people and their traditional territories.
“When thousands of people gather for a Kings game, it creates a powerful opportunity for education and reflection,” said Chairwoman Cuellar. “Sports venues are community gathering places, and land acknowledgements help remind everyone whose land we share and the Indigenous peoples who continue to contribute to our communities today.”