Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.
The story of America
Land acknowledgement and reconciliation By Cate Anthony St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church acknowledges that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Richmond, the Powhatan people, who are still here. We honor with gratitude the land itself and the Powhatan nation. The words above are a “land acknowledgement,” a statement to formally recognize that the St. Stephen’s campus is on land that originally was home to indigenous people who lived on and cared for this land long before the European colonization of what would become the Commonwealth of Virginia. Our parish, and much of Richmond itself, is on the land of the Powhatan Chiefdom, a nation made up of more than 30 tribes under the rule of chief Wahunsunacock, whom the English called Powhatan upon their arrival in 1607. Distinct tribes belonging to the Powhatan Chiefdom and indigenous to Virginia include the Chickahominy, the Mattaponi, the Pamunkey, the Monacan, the Youghtanud, and the Arrohatec, among others. I wonder how the assertion of this land acknowledgement makes you feel upon reading it for the first time—perhaps you are surprised or curious, delighted or off-put. When I was in seminary at Yale Divinity School, we read a land acknowledgment prior to most chapel services (YDS resides on the land of the Quinnipiac people). At first, the language of the acknowledgment and the theory behind it were foreign to me—but over time, I began to understand the importance of naming the indigenous communities that came before me and my time living in Connecticut. I think that land acknowledgements have a lot in common with our 18 403073_Newsletter.indd 18
Christian theology of the communion of saints. In the latter, we assert a lasting and infallible connection between holy people of all ages, eras, cultures, and experiences; we declare that our current story is inextricably intertwined with the stories of those of faith who came before us and those who will be here after we are gone. In a similar way, land acknowledgments seek to remind us that the story of this place where we live and worship began long before St. Stephen’s Church stood tall at the corner of Three Chopt and Grove; we are also reminded of those with whom we share the experience of living in this place and are called to honor this land and preserve it for those who come to live here next. Since the summer of 2020, St. Stephen’s has offered 11 learning cohorts for Sacred Ground, a powerful online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European American histories. During the program’s third week, participants learn about indigenous peoples’ experiences in America, and also talk about land acknowledgments. In this way and much more, Sacred Ground is our community’s first step into seeing the story of America as fully as possible—even when doing so challenges our sense of our place in the narrative of things. In addition to offering Sacred Ground during the 2021-22 program year (Wednesdays at 10 a.m. biweekly beginning in late September; other times TBA), we continue to create new opportunities for learning and action in the work of racial justice. If you are curious about what you’ve read here, or about the work of racial justice and Christian discipleship, please contact me or visit ststephensRVA.org/sacredground to learn more about how to get involved. SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
9/7/21 7:51 AM
