A group of traditional Native American dancers performed Saturday morning during the opening weekend of the Obama Presidential Center after a contentious debate over whether the center is built on ‘stolen’ land.
CHICAGO — After officials kicked off the opening weekend of theBarack ObamaPresidential Center with a widely mocked "land acknowledgment" — a nod to the political far left. believes the United States was built on "stolen land" — a traditional Native American dance show was featured during Saturday's scheduled events.
The Black Hawk Performance Company is a Native American dance troupe based in theChicagoarea. composed of dancers from several Indigenous tribes.
Saturday marked the third day of the Obama Presidential Center's grand opening, which featured musical. cultural performances ranging from international superstars like John Legend to local drum lines.
The lively Native American display, held in John Lewis Plaza on the center's campus, featured a drum circle, several traditional dances. songs, including one honoring a Native American flag. The performance lasted about an hour and. toward the end, included many of the hundreds of people who watched in the plaza.
OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER'S OPENING CEREMONY RIDICULED FOR 'LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT' BEFORE STAR-STUDDED SHOW
The Black Hawk Performance Company. a Native American dance troupe, performs at the Barack Obama Presidential Center June 20, 2026.(Peter D'Abrosca/Fox News Digital)
But Thursday night. theopening ceremony for the centerbegan with an awkward admission that the center itself rests on land that rightfully belongs to Native Americans.
Valerie Jarrett, the former senior advisor to Obama when he was president. the current CEO of the Obama Foundation, kicked things off.
"We’d also like to take a moment to recognize the original inhabitants of the land upon. we are gathered today," she said. "We honor the Anishinaabe, the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, the Odawa and the Potawatomi nations."
WATCH: DNC OPENS SUMMER MEETING WITH LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, CLAIMS THAT US SUPPRESSES INDIGENOUS HISTORY
The Black Hawk Performance Company. a Native American dance troupe, performs at the Barack Obama Presidential Center on June 20, 2026.(Peter D'Abrosca/Fox News Digital)
Some of Saturday's performers were from the Ojibwe tribe.
Land acknowledgments like Jarrett's are sometimes criticized aswoke performative gesturesthat often ring hollow. as noted by a huge number of X users after Jarrett's speech.
"Obama Presidential Center grand opening begins with acknowledging they’re on stolen land. And then they kept the land," oneX commentersaid. "Pretty sure Indians would remove the apocalyptic looking Soviet bloc style dumpster building from their land first thing."
CARVILLE REBUKES DNC OVER WOKE ‘LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT’ LAMENTING TREATMENT OF NATIVE AMERICANS
The Black Hawk Performance Company. a Native American dance troupe, performs at the Barack Obama Presidential Center June 20, 2026.(Peter D'Abrosca/Fox News Digital)
Conservative commentator Glenn Beck unleashed on the hypocrisy.
"The sheer arrogance of the Obama Foundation using the$850 million Obama Presidential Centerto lecture us about standing on 'stolen land' is HILARIOUS,"he said. "They're basically saying, 'Yeah, we acknowledge we stole this land. IT’S SO WRONG. But the gift shop is to your left,. tickets are 30 bucks.' If they genuinely believe they're holding stolen property, they should either GIVE IT BACK or shut the hell up."
Town hall senior strategist Siraj Hashmi roasted Obama and company with a reference to infamous Chicago rapper Chief Keef.
The Black Hawk Performance Company. a Native American dance troupe, performs at the Barack Obama Presidential Center on June 20, 2026.(Peter D'Abrosca/Fox News Digital)
"Pretty disrespectful for the Obama Presidential Center to not acknowledge the current tribe leader of the South Side of Chicago: Chief Keef," Hashmiquipped.
Further, thecenter features a placardrecognizing that the land actually belongs to "Indigenous peoples."
The sign says that the Obama Foundation acknowledges "the sovereign Indigenous peoples who have, since time immemorial, inhabited. stewarded the lands many of us call home."
The Obama Presidential Center with its glass facade and surrounding trees.(Peter D'Abrosca/Fox News Digital)
It also says that "Indigenous peoples" have worked to "combat. rightfully reverse the forces of settler colonialism" and features a 2009 Obama quote reflecting on broken treaties, lost lands and the treatment of Native Americans.
"Treaties were violated. Promises were broken," Obama said at the time.
Fox News Digital'sMichael Dorgancontributed to this report.
Peter D'Abrosca is a politics reporter at Fox News Digital.
Discussion
Sign in to join the thread, react, and share images.