The Land Back movement is an ongoing effort to reestablish Native American sovereignty by restoring the political authority of Indigenous people over their ancestral territories. The goal is not to displace current residents but to transfer power over those areas back to those who originally occupied them. The movement has already achieved many small victories, including the return of some land to tribal management and joint-stewardship programs; Native groups have also raised funds to buy back ancestral territories. Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. is a Black letterpress printer and an Indigenous ally currently living in Detroit, Michigan. He has designed many variants of this poster, most of which involve overlaying a vintage illustrated map with large wood-type letters declaring “Landback.” Here, he has selected a map of Manhattan, originally known by the Lenape as Manahatta or “hilly island.” In 1626, the Dutch “purchased” this Manahatta from the Lenape, beginning centuries of forced displacement, mass death, and environmental destruction. Due to its role as a center of global power and commerce, New York City is also the least likely place to ever be returned to its original stewards—and yet that is exactly what Kennedy is demanding in this poster.
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