Land Acknowledgement Statement
All of us at Heartwood Nature School acknowledge that this land we live, love, and teach on is the unceded territory of the Abenaki, Pawtucket, and the Pennacook peoples, and the Wabanaki Confederacy. As humans, we have a duty to reflect upon, and learn from our past. We recognize that these Indigenous Peoples are the traditional stewards of our land and will work to not only learn about their history and culture ourselves, but to pass on this learning to the children and families we serve. We will work to partner with and empower Indigenous and Native people within our community and beyond, and work towards a more inclusive and equitable community while doing everything we can to repair the damage done and provide reparations of some sort to those who so sincerely deserve them.
Resources to Further Your Learning
- This website will show you exactly what Native peoples originally owned the land you live and work on: https://native-land.ca/
- The Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness is a local organization that works to educate the general public about Native issues and provide assistance, scholarships, and spiritual and cultural support to Native/Indigenous citizens of Massachusetts. Take a look at their events and fundraising initiatives and please donate! The organization is also in search of land to teach their youth traditional building and gardening methods, as well as a building to serve as their headquarters. https://www.mcnaa.org/
- Information about Line 3, a pipeline set to carry tar sands through northern Minnesota, crossing the Leech Lake and Fond du Lac reservations and the 1855, 1854, and 1842 treaty areas: https://www.stopline3.org/
Recommended Reading and Watching
- Robin Wall Kimmerer and the Honorable Harvest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz1vgfZ3etE
- Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book, Braiding Sweetgrass
- David Silberman’s book, This Land is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving
- A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
- Neither Wolf Nor Dog by Kent Nerburn
