Brookfield Zoo Chicago is dedicated to engaging people with wildlife and nature, and we recognize that our commitment to conserve and protect the natural world emulates the fundamental teachings of the original stewards of the land on which Brookfield Zoo Chicago resides. 

We acknowledge and recognize that Brookfield Zoo Chicago sits on the unceded, traditional, and ancestral homelands of Indigenous peoples. This land has been and continues to be a site of trade, travel, gathering, and healing for many Native Americans. We honor, with gratitude, the land itself and the Native Americans who have been caretakers of the land throughout generations, past and present. 

As an organization dedicated to education, teaching, and learning, we affirm our responsibility and commitment to tell accurate historical stories and bring forward the voices of Indigenous communities through intentional work in building meaningful relationships and partnerships. We strive to honor and celebrate those who came before us on the land on which Brookfield Zoo Chicago resides by seeking to understand their perspectives regarding heritage, tradition, and the future. 

We celebrate that the Chicago area is home to one of the largest urban Native American populations in the United States, with more than 65,000 individuals currently living here representing 175 different tribes—a testimony to the creativity and resilience of Native American communities. 

We, along with our friends and partners at the Forest Preserves of Cook County, commit ourselves to developing deeper partnerships that advocate for the progress, dignity, and humanity of the many diverse Indigenous peoples who still live and practice their heritage and traditions on this land today. 

The Forest Preserves of Cook County are the current custodians of the land on which the Zoo sits. As part of the Forest Preserves, we share the sentiments of their Land Acknowledgement: 

..."[W]e acknowledge that we have played a role in shaping the histories of local Native Americans by acquiring this land. We also recognize, share and celebrate their immemorial ties to this land. 

We commit ourselves to developing deeper partnerships that advocate for the progress, dignity and humanity of the many diverse Native Americans who still live and practice their heritage and traditions on this land today." 

Brookfield Zoo Chicago commits to: 

• • Supporting access to and use of the land at the Zoo for cultural practices, as well as access to culturally relevant species and materials of animal origin, where possible. 

• • Telling accurate historical stories and bringing forward the voices of Native American communities. 

• • Honoring and celebrating those who came before us on the land on which Brookfield Zoo Chicago resides. 

• • Fostering meaningful relationships and partnerships with Native American communities based on trust and collective benefit.