A land acknowledgement video created by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians will play before Sacramento Kings games at Golden 1 Center, the tribe announced this week.
“We take great pride in our home,” said Dustin Murray, director of government affairs for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, in an interview Tuesday. “We wanted to figure out how we can share our story in a digestible way — and the Kings have really embraced that, and given us a great platform.”
The acknowledgement is intended, Murray said, as a sign of respect for indigenous people as the original inhabitants and stewards of the land. The video played Monday evening at the Kings-Timberwolves game, he said.
“It was definitely surreal, in a packed house last night,” Murray said. “It was a great moment for the tribe.”
The 29-second video was filmed atop the Macy’s building next to Golden 1 Center, according to a Shingle Springs spokesperson. The tribe acquired the Macy’s building over the summer, and the previous year it bought the vacant city block diagonal from it at 301 Capitol Mall, known among locals as the “hole in the ground.” Chairwoman Regina Cuellar said this summer that the tribe intended to develop the properties, likely with a project that would span both.
In the video, Cuellar stands with the Tower Bridge visible to her right, and the Ziggurat building off to her left.
“I welcome you to our homelands,” Cuellar says. “Go Kings!”
Murray said Tuesday that the tribe had no updates on the future of the two downtown properties.
“We’re still hard at work on getting our vision in line,” Murray said. “We know we want it to be something that’s a statement piece here in Sacramento, and definitely helps revitalize the downtown.”