The Indigenous Justice Working Group (IJWG) held virtual workshops on March 1 and 29 2023. First Parish was fortunate to collaborate with Silvermoon LaRose and Lorén Spears, assistant and executive directors at the Tomaquag Museum. They led us as we seek the truth of the past and begin our repair work in the present.

March 1 Why Land Acknowledgments?
Introduces us to the Indigenous people whose land we occupy, the history of displacement by the United States, and an introduction to the process of Land Acknowledgment.

March 29 Creating an Action Plan
Explore whom we acknowledge, how we can make it more than a performance, the creation of an action plan, and how to use our Land Acknowledgment. Participating in this important series will better enable you to be a part of this process.

We explored First Parish’s relationship to the grave injustices experienced by the Indigenous people of Massachusetts. We learned about and confronted these injustices in hopes of healing, and moving forward together toward a more just future.

In 2020 the Unitarian Universalist Association passed an Action of Immediate Witness calling on all congregations to “Address 400 Years of White Supremacist Colonialism.”

We need to answer the UUA’s call to acknowledge the Indigenous peoples connected with the land occupied by our meetinghouse and find ways to act in solidarity with them.