“Hollow Promises: The Complexities of Land Acknowledgments” (2023-2024)

The prompt of exploring a controversy and its underlying cultural implications felt like a daunting task for my final progression for the “Advanced College Essay” course. With a list of ongoing controversies, picking the best topic for my paper was the first challenge, as many of the issues spoke to me as a writer and student. However, as a tribal member of the Choctaw Nation, I seized the opportunity to further explore the topic of tribal land acknowledgments when I saw it listed as a possible controversy.

As I began researching this topic, my intrigue only grew. The research aspect of the writing process was my favorite, as the controversy became more nuanced with every source. It was interesting to see how this seemingly admirable act could be full of complications and destructive in certain circumstances. I wanted my essay to illustrate this development, starting with a basic overview and, with each paragraph, unveiling a new layer of the controversy. As my insightful instructor explained, this essay was an onion, where each layer adds a unique perspective, complication, or even thought that expands the reader’s lens. With that goal in mind, I worked meticulously to ensure my essay flowed in a way that gave the reader a greater understanding and new perspective on every page.

When writing in this style, I felt that the conclusion was the most formidable task. Situated as one of the most important aspects of a successful paper, I felt the pressure of writing both a cohesive and non-repetitive ending. As instructed, I needed to create a finish that spoke to a more knowledgeable audience who has read up to this point without running the risk of doing two things: offering a solution to this massive cultural controversy and being repetitive. Personally, this was very challenging as I have previously viewed endings as an almost comprehensive summary of what I’ve just written. However, this assignment prompted me to think differently, considering the conclusion as a more sophisticated and nuanced version of my central insight. While the finale was daunting, as I wrote those last few sentences, I felt an intense sense of accomplishment in writing an end that spoke to a more engaged audience and advanced my writing to the next level.

Torie George, ’25, a sophomore at Rory Meyers College of Nursing, hopes to become a nurse practitioner in pediatrics. Born in Bakersfield, California, she was raised under the wing of two hard-working parents running the family trucking business. Outside school, she enjoys meeting with her sister and friends for her book club or crossing restaurants off her foodie bucket list. On campus, she is on the executive board for the Pi Beta Phi sorority and acts as the traditional representative for the Nurse Anesthetist and Practitioner Student Interest Group. Focusing on Indigenous struggles, her essay unveils the greater problems of performative activism under the guise of political action.