What is land acknowledgement?

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 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.

A unique path to meaningful employment

The ReWork Richmond difference

ReWork Richmond, the workforce development program that came about through a partnership among St. Stephen’s, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Church Hill, the City of Richmond’s Office of Community Wealth Building and Challenge Discovery Projects, is changing the lives of East End Richmond residents.

ReWork’s mission is to empower underemployed adults living in Richmond’s East End to obtain the skills and support needed to qualify for and ultimately gain thriving, living-wage careers.

Born of the capital campaign that St. Stephen’s conducted as part of its centennial observance, ReWork takes a unique approach to employment. Most workforce development programs focus on finding entry-level jobs for their clients, jobs that don’t financially sustain them. These programs rarely address the barriers to securing lasting, family-sustaining employment.

ReWork, on the other hand, is about employment support and job sourcing that create lasting career opportunities for East End Richmond families. The program is structured to provide a comprehensive array of personal support and employment referral services tailored to meeting the individual goals of each ReWork member, (not client or participant). There is no cookiecutter approach; each member works with the ReWork staff to strategically design their individual career plan.

With continuing financial support from St. Stephen’s and other invested community partners, ReWork Richmond is making a difference in the lives of East End adults and their families. We are happy to report that program enrollment continues to grow each month and members are making great strides on their paths to meaningful, living-wage careers.

Member Janice A. is a recent example. Janice was recommended to ReWork by the Office of Community Wealth Building and came to the program with no career plan, and without a driver’s license she had no reliable means of transportation to work. After enrolling with ReWork and working with the staff, Janice is now employed with VCU Health System as a Certified Medical Assistant, is trained in medical coding and billing, has obtained her driver’s license and secured stable transportation to and from her job.

In an email to ReWork staff after completing her first week at VCU Health System, Janice was elated: “This first week has been

By Deb Lawrence

fun, exciting and very busy. Thank you all for your help and dedication to my success. The sky’s the limit from here!”

Through ReWork’s extensive collaborative relationships in the community, members are able to connect to organizations best qualified to help them overcome logistical hurdles. One example is member Star T. Star and her two children have been living in a public housing complex in the East End for many years. But in September, she and her children will move into a brand new home in a rent-to-own program with Urban Hope, one of ReWork’s community partners. Star is very excited about this life-changing opportunity and credits her enrollment in ReWork Richmond for this move. She is equally excited about her career plans and is working hard with the ReWork staff to reach her dream of owning her own food truck.

There are several ways you can help make a difference in the lives of ReWork members and support their rise from poverty. If you have a roadworthy vehicle to donate, please let ReWork know. Each car is thoroughly checked out and detailed prior to delivery. Mark Murphy (markmurphydmm@gmail.com or 203.249.2164) can provide additional details. All donations to ReWork Richmond are tax deductible.

ReWork also seeks committed volunteers who are interested in career and financial coaching, or assisting with resume writing and interview skills. To explore how your generosity and skills can help ReWork Richmond, please contact me at deb.lawrence@reworkrichmond.org or 804.869.3704.

Please read more about the organization at reworkrichmond.org.

St. Stephen’s parishioner Deb Lawrence is executive director of ReWork Richmond and former director of outreach for St. Stephen’s Church.