Do you have Indigenous heritage? Or do you know someone who does? Do you enjoy history? Are you an armchair linguist? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, the Land Acknowledgement Project for St. Clare’s might be of interest to you!
What is a land acknowledgement? A statement that is motivated by genuine respect for Indigenous nations and communities, recognizing their sovereignty, and acknowledging the complex history of the land on which we gather for services, including the displacement of Native tribes. Land Acknowledgements are generally spoken, although we hope to add a physical sign in partnership with Temple Beth Emeth (TBE) and Genesis.
Intent: St. Clare’s is undertaking this journey as a means of increasing our awareness of the history of the land on which our buildings stand, the Indigenous peoples and cultures who predated colonial settlement, the harm perpetrated (intentional and unintentional) by displacement, the impacts that continue to this day, and the contemporary perspectives of Native peoples in our community. We hope that through this work, we can enter into meaningful relationships with the broader community and answer Bishop Curry’s call to become Beloved Community.
Four Components of the Project: Committees will be forming to pursue each of the following four areas. Please consider if any of these captures your interests and speaks to your talents:
- written land acknowledgement – the process of writing the acknowledgement with support and guidance from Native peoples, the development of a physical sign in concert with Genesis and TBE for installation on the grounds
- education/curriculum – opportunities to learn more about the complex history of 2309 Packard and southeastern Michigan from this perspective
- worship/ceremony – a possible dedication service for the sign that includes Genesis, TBE, and Native tribes; plus consideration of ways to incorporate the spoken land acknowledgement into STC services and events
- honorarium – hand-made gifts to thank Native peoples and others who are helping us; research into future donations to Native non-profits/agencies via plate collection/other means
This project will be supported in part by a grant from the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan. Questions welcome! Please contact Jennifer Wolf at jwolf2000@gmail.com or 734-904-5439 if you feel called to join this effort.