Each week we start our worship service with an acknowledgement that we reside on land that is precious and has been cared for, loved, and held sacred by many peoples that came before us. The original inhabitants, the Hohokam and Sobaipuri people, considered the land as part of their greater community of life; and the Tohono and Akimel O’Odham and Yaqui people, who currently inhabit this area continue a relationship with the land as an integral part of their community.
Some folks have expressed a desire to move beyond simply acknowledging the land. With the awareness that our role is to listen and learn in order to understand how to most thoughtfully act, we can then move to a place of asking how we can help. Here are a few suggestions on moving from hearing to learning and eventually acting:
- Be curious.
- Who are our neighbors? How do they tell their story? There is a wealth of information from which to glean. Here are a few starting points:
- Tohono O’odahm Nation website: http://www.tonation-nsn.gov/
- Pascua Yaqui Nation website: https://www.pascuayaqui-nsn.
gov/
- What challenges do they face?
- Tohono O’odahm Tour: https://youtu.be/NYlVQTPIN5s
- Border wall: https://youtu.be/QChXZVXVLKo
- Who are our neighbors? How do they tell their story? There is a wealth of information from which to glean. Here are a few starting points:
- Learn about and appreciate their culture:
- O’odahm Dances: https://vimeo.com/198077138
- Volunteer:
- You can be part of a team to revision our church’s relationship with our indigenous neighbors. How do we create dialogue? Community? Let the ministry team know if this is a ministry that calls to you.