The SGA senate meeting on Oct. 19 began with a land acknowledgement, read by Chair of Senate Shula Mathew ’22, in accordance with the new Mount Holyoke College policy. The Nonotuck, Nipmuc and Pocumtuc peoples were acknowledged, as they once occupied the land that is now Western Massachusetts, including the Mount Holyoke College campus. The land acknowledgement also included surrounding Indigenous nations such as the Nipmuc, Wampanoag, Mohegan, Eastern Pequot, Mohican and Abenaki peoples. Mathew asked for a brief moment of silence after the acknowledgement was read in order to give time for reflection.