The 2024 DNC begins with a recognition of the 'forcibly removed' tribal nation.

The Indigenous tribes' land was "forcibly removed" for the Democratic National Convention to take place, which commenced on Monday with a reminder of this fact in the introduction.

At the beginning of the convention, Zach Pahmahmie, Vice-Chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Tribal Council, and Lorrie Melchior, Tribal Council Secretary, welcomed the Democratic Party to their "ancestral homelands."

Pahmahmie welcomed the 2024 Democratic National Convention to the ancestral homelands of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and its sister Potawatomi nations. She honored the spirit of other tribal nations who journeyed westward to this magnificent area. The land holds immense significance to its original caretakers, our ancestors and present-day communities.

Our tribe, who have lived in the Great Lakes region for generations, were forcibly removed from our homeland in 1849 due to an illegal auction by the U.S. government. Since then, we have been striving to reclaim our ancestral land.

In Chicago, the Department of the Interior granted ancestral lands in trust and officially recognized the tribe, bringing joy to Pahmahmie.

"This year, the Department of the Interior placed some of our ancestral lands west of Chicago into a trust, thanks to the resolve of our tribal community and the Biden-Harris administration. We have reclaimed a piece of our home and are now the only federally recognized tribal nation in Illinois in 175 years. Let's have a joyful, historic convention together in our homelands. Blessings to you all," Pahmahmie said.

The Democratic Party's 2024 platform recognized that Chicago was constructed on indigenous land.

The Democratic National Committee acknowledges that we gather together on lands that have been stewarded by Tribal Nations for many centuries. We honor the communities native to this continent and recognize that our country was built on Indigenous homelands. We pay our respects to the millions of Indigenous people throughout history who have protected our lands, waters, and animals.

In Chicago, we recognize and honor the traditional homelands of the Anishinaabe, also known as the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations. We acknowledge the many other tribes who consider this area their traditional homeland, including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo, and Mascouten. Democrats continue to support tribes as they advocate for the United States to uphold treaty and trust responsibilities.