In keeping with our Faith in Action goal of putting our hearts and hands to work, the Indigenous Peoples team kicked off in 2021, researching and developing a St. Matthew’s Land Acknowledgement (see below). With that accomplished, we are now focused on learning more about the Indigenous Peoples who came before us, creating ongoing relationships with descendants of Indigenous Peoples, annually honoring them, and sharing our learning with the St. Matthew’s congregation. If you are interested in learning more or joining the team, please email Lisa Richardson at lraustin62@gmail.com.
St. Matthew’s Land Acknowledgement (As of November 1, 2021)
We would like to acknowledge all Indigenous Peoples and communities who have been, or have become, a part of these lands and territories in Central Texas and in particular the Jumanos, Tonkawa, Lipan Apache, Coahuiltecan, Wichita, and Comanche people. We give thanks for them and express our gratitude for their wisdom on how to live a life that is in balance with Mother Earth. We acknowledge our failure to see the humanity of all peoples and to share this land we all love. May we always remember that the Earth is sacred and does not belong to us, that we belong to the Earth, and that we are all God’s children. Help us to learn from our past mistakes and be instruments of justice and peace for all people in today’s world as we seek to build a beloved community of right relationships.
What is a Land Acknowledgment?
As part of broader effort toward diversity, equity, and inclusion, Land Acknowledgements have emerged as an important step against Indigenous erasure. At a basic level, Land Acknowledgements express gratitude, respect, and recognition toward Indigenous Peoples as the original stewards of their traditional lands. Given as a formal statement at the beginning of gatherings, such as public events and presentations, it draws attention to the colonial histories, ongoing Indigenous presence, and the ethical and historic responsibilities that we have to the territories that they occupied.
Why have a Land Acknowledgment?
- To offer recognition and respect.
- To counter the “doctrine of discovery” with the true story of the people who were already here.
- To create a broader public awareness of the history that has led to this moment.
- To begin to repair relationships with Native communities and with the land.
- To support larger truth-telling and reconciliation efforts.
- To remind people that colonization is an ongoing process, with Native lands still occupied due to deceptive and broken treaties, practices of eminent domain, and other mechanisms intended to benefit government or corporate America.
- To take a cue from Indigenous protocols, opening up spaces with reverence and respect.
- To inspire ongoing action and relationships.
Resources:
- 11/7/21 Adult Formation Presentation, “Land Acknowledgment and the Indigenous Peoples of Central Texas”
- Websites:
- Reading:
- The Four Vision Quests of Jesus, by the Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston
- Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- An Indigenous People’s History of the United States, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
- The Heartbeat of God: Finding the Sacred in the Middle of Everything, by the Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori