
KCC Land Acknowledgement
KCC’s Portland Center is located on the ancestral homelands of the Willamette Tumwater, Clackamas, Mollala, Watlala, Multnomah, other Chinookan people, as well as the Tualatin Kalapuya and other Native peoples who resided in what is now called Portland, Oregon. The Portland area continues to be a home to Indigenous people from all directions; this legacy is apparent in a thriving Native community today. We are forever indebted to Indigenous peoples for their stewardship of the land before there was a United States, as well as their continued leadership and advocacy for both their lands and their peoples who have endured the unimaginable with perseverance, strength, and resilience.
Ser Cho Osel Ling (SCOL), KCC’s retreat center near Goldendale, Washington, rests on the ancestral lands of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and recognizes and honors the people of the Yakama Nation. We honor the Native peoples who are tied to the land through history, legends, and culture. We acknowledge their descendants who live here and continue to be protectors of the land, rivers, lakes, and inhabitants of the surrounding area. This acknowledgment is a sincere commitment to show respect, continue to build relationships, and support our ongoing efforts to cooperate with the Yakama Nation as, together, we work to respect and protect this land, wildlife, vegetation, and water.
Why KCC has a Land Acknowledgment
As we practice Buddhism, we are taught to honor those who have come before and all that they did to build, preserve, and pass on the teachings, meditation practices, prayers, and songs of our tradition. They taught us that all living beings and phenomena are sacred, interconnected, and constantly changing. We work to create a world in which all beings are happy and free of suffering.
Just as we remember and honor our lineage teachers, we honor the Native peoples who have been connected to this land from time immemorial. They drew sustenance and inspiration from the land. Their stories and culture were built on these lands. When the White settlers arrived, Native people were decimated by war, famine, and disease, driven from their rightful lands, and forced onto reservations with limited resources.
At SCOL, KCC’s retreat center outside of Goldendale, WA, we have an ongoing collaboration with the Yakama Nation to restore a creek and meadow on the land to improve the Klickitat watershed. This is an example of the engagement our community can take to recognize Tribal Nations, honor their wisdom and seek their guidance as we work with them to restore and protect the land, wildlife, vegetation, and water at SCOL. Learn more about KCC’s collaboration with the Yakama Nation.
We encourage our Sangha to learn more about the history, cultures, programs, and goals of the Yakama Nation in Washington State and Tribal nations in Oregon:
- Burns Paiute Tribe
- Confederated Tribes of Coos Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
- Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde
- Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
- Confederated Tribes of the Warms Springs
- Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians
- Coquille Indian Tribe
- Klamath Tribes
Approved by the KCC Board of Directors in March 2026.

