Bending the Arc

Monday, October 12, is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a time to honor the communities who have, since time immemorial, been stewarding these lands we call home. In reflection, celebration, and mourning, we recognize the weight of our fractured world—how colonization and genocide have taken so much from so many; how white supremacy, Christian domination, and capitalism have ruptured our relationships and the life of this earth; and how we are urgently needed in the movement for accountability, justice, and repair.

As we head into the weekend, we invite you to ask yourself, your community: what does it really mean to support Indigenous sovereignty, return, and rematriation? How do we both materially and spiritually answer the call to bring Indigenous lands back into Indigenous hands—to not just acknowledge but make right the wrongs that have been done in our name?

To support answering these questions, consider:

• Contributing to an honor fund near you. Honor funds, also called voluntary land taxes or real rent, are a way to acknowledge through action that we are on stolen land that Indigenous people have been forcibly severed from. These funds support Native Tribes and organizations with critical resources needed for their communities and larger rematriation efforts. You can find an honor fund near you with this map, or explore starting one using the Native Governance Center’s guide.
• Volunteering with Indigenous organizations in your area. This can be a great way to offer your time and skills, learn about what’s important to your neighbors, and develop meaningful relationships.
• Advocating for the removal of monuments, street names, and other public imagery that celebrates racist colonial figures. Too often, our parks, schools, and community institutions are filled with symbols and stories that uphold a dishonest narrative of the United States. We can honor the true history of this country by taking down these harmful commemorations and promoting public education about the devastating consequences of colonization.
• Rematriating Native burials, remains, and cultural objects. Many religious communities, conservation organizations, museums, and private landowners are in relationship with Native burial sites and/or Native American human remains or objects that have religious, cultural, spiritual, or other significance to Tribal Nations. Check out the Sacred Grounds guide we developed with the Native American Rights Fund for guidance about best practices and the important process of meaningful consultation and repair with Tribal Nations.
• Supporting Indigenous-led land reclamation, protection, and defense efforts. As we see a historic rise in efforts to return and rematriate lands to Indigenous stewardship, so, too, do we see an aggressive increase in extractive development projects that violate Tribal rights and the health of land, air, and water. Do some research to see where there are mines, pipelines, or data centers threatening lands and sacred sites near you. 

In addition, consider joining one of the upcoming program offerings from Land Justice Futures. During the events you will witness and practice in real time the material and spiritual work of showing up for right relationship as non-Native people. 

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