November is Native
American Heritage Month in the United States. The designation was inspired by the false
narrative of the First Thanksgiving myth and in recognition of the true
history of the genocidal displacement of aboriginal peoples and
nations by the European settler invasion and conquest.
The Unitarian
Universalist Association, like many progressive religious bodies,
has been moved to acknowledge that history.
The enormous wealth of the United
States is based on the theft of Indigenous land and the enslavement of people
of African descent. In order to maximize wealth, the colonizers sought to
eliminate or minimize the number of people who could claim their Indigenous
rights to land, natural resources and sovereignty. These attempts are ongoing
and have included genocide, forced removal, forced assimilation and the more
contemporary systemic erasure of Native people through invisibility in
education, media and pop culture.
Millions of Indigenous people and
hundreds of Indigenous nations have resiliently survived 400 + years of
systemic and violent attempts to eliminate them, only to be rendered invisible
by white supremacy culture and institutions which pretend they no longer exist.
They continue to assert their sovereignty, and their rights and relationship to
their homelands, natural resources, culture and spiritual practices. They
continue to lead efforts across this country to protect life itself, which
depends upon the protection of the land, the water and the air. Indigenous
people are still here and their lands are still occupied.
Part of the response
is encouraging the use of Land Acknowledgement statements at the beginning
of gatherings, meetings, and Congregational worship. In that spirit I created an Acknowledgement
prayer that was used as a Chalice Lighting last November at a
meeting of the Tree of Life Social Justice Team. I adapted material from the fine resources
provided by the UUA and our near neighbors at Countryside
Church Unitarian Universalist in Palatine who created a litany of
the peoples who lived on or used the land in our area. Note that just prior to European settlement
in Northeastern Illinois native tribes had few permanent villages
in the area, but it was widely used as a hunting and trading
area by many.
A similar
acknowledgement is now used at all Tree of Life worship services.
Tree of Life Land
Acknowledgement Prayer
As we begin, we take this moment to
acknowledge that Tree of Life occupies land in what was the unceded territory
of indigenous peoples. As community and church
members, we continue to benefit from the seizure and occupation of this land.
We also want to affirm that this is not simply performative but is deeply felt
and is a commitment toward action.
We acknowledge the Lakota Sioux, Ho
Chunk Winnebago, Illini, Shawnee, joined later by the Ottawa, Lenape/Delaware,
Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Sac, Fox, and Wyandot.
We also acknowledge the plants,
animals, water, and the very earth itself that sustained them and ourselves.
We are grateful for our undeserved
grace and affirm our duty to be restorative.
Amen.
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