The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend. - Robertson Jeffries
I love this quote as it reminds me of how important it is that we continually and intentionally work to open our hearts and our minds so that we can see more and see differently. At The Inclusive Community, we believe all of us (individuals and teams) working to build more inclusive and equitable communities are on a journey of Self Work.
Self Work is about looking inward before looking outward. It is about building the confidence and necessary skills to support and prepare ourselves and our teams to take meaningful community action in concert with our neighbors. It is about increasing personal awareness and empathy and surfacing our underlying biases. For teams, it can also be about building shared understanding, leveraging shared values, and building trust.
To be honest, I practice Self Work in some form practically every day. The Self Work I do today is not at all the same as my Self Work of 5 years ago or 15 years ago. It changes and evolves as I do. It will also not be the same Self Work that you do or your neighbor does. What is important is that we make time for and consider Self Work a priority for ourselves and for our teams and also understand that it is work that is never done.
This summer, I was drawn to learning and opening on injustices related to Indigenous Peoples. Those lessons and learning opportunities kept coming to me one after another. One of those opportunities was participating in a Just Faith Class, The Land Is Not Our Own: Seeking Repair Alongside Indigenous Communities. This 8-week class was beautifully structured to both inform and challenge my thinking.
In week 2 of the class, we discussed and created a land acknowledgment. We've all been to events that started with one. Perhaps you've even wondered, as I have, what purpose they serve. Land acknowledgments serve very little purpose or can even be harmful when done performatively and without reflection. Still, in the context of this class, personally creating a land acknowledgment seemed an important step and was a meaningful part of my learning and opening journey.
So, on Indigenous Peoples' Day, I encourage you to consider focusing some of your own Self Work in the coming days and weeks in relation to and with our Indigenous Peoples. Perhaps, like me, you can find a class that really challenges and opens you. Your version of Self Work might include visiting a nearby historical or cultural site, learning through film, art, museum exhibits, or even reading a book by a native author. Maybe you want to reflect on and think through a personal land acknowledgment. It may also be through meaningful and respectful conversation with someone from an Indigenous community. If you have personally suffered injustice, perhaps your journey is about finding a way to heal and forgive.
Still, we know that Self Work without sincere reflection and action is not enough. We also have to then commit or re-commit ourselves to the actions necessary to repair past harms and build a more inclusive and equitable community.
This short humorous video on Land Acknowledgments from the CBC Baroness Von Sketch Show really brings that home.
At the risk of bearing to close of a resemblance to the Baroness Von Sketch video, please find below the land acknowledgment that I created as part of the Just Faith Class. I admit I still have a long way to go on my Self Work journey, as well as finding good ways to turn my learning and reflection into meaningful actions. I've found that sometimes, this work of equity and inclusion requires that we simply stand in the uncomfortable place, using Maya Angelou's words, of "knowing better" but still not yet being fully clear on what to do or not do in order to "do better."
If we find ourselves standing in that uncomfortable place, it is okay.
We just can't let ourselves stand there very long.
My Land Acknowledgment:
I acknowledge living, loving, and prospering on land that is the ancestral homeland of the Catawba people, also known as yeh is-WAH h'reh, meaning people of the river.
Of the 573 federally recognized tribes in the United States, the Catawba Indian Nation is the only one located in the state of South Carolina. It historically occupied much of the Piedmont region of S.C. Today, its modern-day tribal lands are located in York County, South Carolina. The nation has over 3,300 enrolled members.
After the arrival of white settlers, the Catawba suffered staggering loss of life through disease and genocide. They also suffered property loss through illegal and unjust practices of the State of South Carolina and the U.S. Government. In 1959, only 30 families remained on their reservation, and they were no longer formally recognized as a tribe by state or federal governments.
Despite this, and over hundreds of years, the Catawba persisted in retaining their cultural practices and working to recover their lands. In 1993, they gained federal recognition and won one of the largest Native American settlements ever made, with $80-$90 million paid to them from a combination of state, federal, and private funds. In addition, hundreds of acres were also placed into a tribal trust. They continue today to re-acquire sites that are sacred to their people. For example, in 2024, they recently re-acquired historically sacred land along the Landsford Canal.
I acknowledge that I have benefited from enjoying the beauty and bounty of the Catawba’s native lands. I also benefit by bearing witness to their tireless and peaceful efforts to hold our government accountable in the face of horrible injustices. Their efforts serve as a powerful reference and model for other social justice efforts.
I commit to honor the Catawbas’ truth and story as an essential part of our history. I will continue recognizing and honoring their unique contributions to our state and culture.
Key Sources:
Catawba Tribal Site: https://www.catawba.com
The Herald article on Landsford Canal acquisition: https://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/article285563567.html
The Catawbas’ Final Battle: A Bittersweet Victory, by Lynn Loftis