The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago kicked off its grand opening weekend with a traditional Native American dance show. The Black Hawk Performance Company, a Native American dance troupe based in the Chicago area, performed in John Lewis Plaza on the center’s campus.
Land Acknowledgment Sparks Criticism
During the opening ceremony, Valerie Jarrett, the former senior advisor to Obama and current CEO of the Obama Foundation, acknowledged the center’s location on land that ‘rightfully belongs to Native Americans.’ This ‘land acknowledgment’ has been criticized as a ‘woke performative gesture’ by some, including conservative commentator Glenn Beck.
The center features a placard recognizing that the land belongs to ‘indigenous peoples’ and quotes a 2009 statement from Obama on the treatment of Native Americans. The Obama Presidential Center’s grand opening events included musical and cultural performances, ranging from international superstars like John Legend to local drum lines.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
