Commit To Do Better
At the start of every Caldwell Presbyterian Church worship service, our leaders share a “land acknowledgment,” remembering and acknowledging the native people and First Nations from whom the land our church was built on was unlawfully taken from / stolen from.
The digital interactive map project “Native-Land.ca” allows you to put in an address and view the native tribes which originally occupied, used and lived in that specific area.
It’s insightful and helpful.
Acknowledging, studying and seeking to understand chapters of “hard history” like this, which challenge many of the traditional narratives and myths taught in traditional history textbooks, is an important part of “healing our culture.” We don’t have to wait for our local school board or school administration to adopt a new curriculum, we have the opportunity to engage in “hyperlinked learning” about “hard history” right now, today.
While some may choose a path of nihilism and despair after learning more about the injustices of the past and our present moment, this is not our only choice. Our culture and society has always been one of dynamic change, competing values, violence and resistance. The choice to aspire to live in a culture where human rights and justice are valued and supported remains ours to make.
If these topics are of interest, I encourage you to follow the “Heal Our Culture” project on SubStack, Facebook, the main project website, etc:
Happy Fourth of July.
May we each commit to live, learn and actively support the aspirational values of our nation, the United States of America, and the transcendental rights embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which are the birthright of every human being on planet earth.
More ways to learn and connect with me are on wesfryer.com/after.
Attribution: I learned about this Native Land interactive map project by reading “The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War” by Jeff Sharlet. I will post a detailed review of this book soon. I highly recommend it.