Reparations

Nov 23, 2022 | 0 comments

-by Peggy Hahn, Executive Director of LEAD

As this country celebrates Thanksgiving, we want to remember the indigenous peoples who have been misrepresented and damaged by this holiday.   

We pause in silence, knowing words are not enough to acknowledge the trust that has been broken. It is time to break the silence and call for long overdue acknowledgments. 

To identify the indigenous people in your area, put your zip code in this website. Give thanks to God this year by acknowledging the original peoples of this land. 

Pause Please. Whose land are you on? 

To quote Bishop Amy Odgren, from the Northeastern Minnesota Synod: 

At the root of reparations is repairing, or better yet, re-pairing: a bringing back together that which was violently separated. This re-pairing refers both to the fractured relationships between Tribal and settler communities, as well as the breached trust that has resulted from violation of treaties.

The motivation behind this action is two-fold: to accept responsibility for participation, active or passive, in the harm done to Tribal communities; and to begin to learn how to be good neighbors who can live well together. “ (You can read the whole news release from the acts of reparation made by NE MN synod here.) 

How will your Thanksgiving Day celebrations be part of acknowledging the truth about this day?  

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