The Democratic National Convention began on Monday with an introduction reminding delegates that the convention is taking place on land that was “violently taken” from indigenous tribes.

Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Tribal Council Vice Chairman Zach Pahmahmie and Tribal Council Secretary Lorrie Melchior took the stage at the start of the convention and welcomed the Democratic Party to their “ancestral homeland.”

“Here we are, together on our ancestral homeland of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and our sister Potawatomi nations. We also honor the spirit of the other tribal nations who have traveled west to this beautiful area. We welcome the 2024 Democratic National Convention to our homeland. This land has and will always hold tremendous significance to its original custodians, our ancestors, and our communities today,” said Pahmahmie.

Black voters in Chicago signal a shift toward the Republicans ahead of the Democratic Party Convention: “Much better for us as a nation”

Prairie Band Potawatomi Vice Chairman Zach Pahmahmie speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on August 19, 2024. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

He continued, “Our ancestors have lived in the Great Lakes region since time immemorial. However, in 1849, our tribe was forcibly removed from our homeland through an illegal auction by the U.S. government. We have been working to reclaim it ever since.”

Pahmahmie was pleased that the Department of the Interior divided part of his ancestral land into a trust and officially recognized the tribe in Chicago.

“Finally, this year the Department of the Interior placed some of our ancestral lands west of Chicago into trust. Thanks to the determination of our tribal community and the Biden-Harris administration, we have reclaimed a piece of our homeland. We have been the only federally recognized tribal nation in Illinois for 175 years. Let us join together in a joyful, historic gathering on our homelands. God bless you all,” Pahmahmie said.

The Democratic Party had previously released its platform for 2024, in which it also acknowledged that Chicago would be built on tribal land.

“The Democratic National Committee wishes to recognize that we come together to affirm our values ​​on lands that have been stewarded for centuries by the ancestors and descendants of the tribal nations who have lived here since time immemorial. We honor the communities indigenous to this continent and recognize that our country was built on Indigenous homeland. We pay our respects to the millions of Indigenous peoples throughout history who have protected our lands, our waters, and our wildlife,” the platform states.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE MEDIA AND CULTURE COVERAGE

The Democratic Party released a statement on indigenous tribes the same day. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

It continues: “As we meet in Chicago, we also recognize and honor the traditional homeland of the Anishinaabe, also known as the Council of 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 the tribes as they work to ensure that the United States upholds its treaty and trust obligations.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP