From Dedication of Land Acknowledgement; Oct. 10, 2021
On this, the day before Indigenous Peoples Day, we turn to the truth of our history. We give an honest look at the ways we have colonized, abused, and oppressed Indigenous peoples since Columbus landed here in 1492. And we seek to revisit the truth of the Gospel: that Christ came to love and to serve, not to conquer. Let us now open our ears, to listen to the words of our own land acknowledgement:
Christ Lutheran Church gratefully acknowledges that we gather on the ancestral homelands of the Lummi and Coast Salish People who have stewarded this land since time immemorial.
The Lummi People call themselves Lhaq’temish, or People of the Sea. They are among the first known inhabitants of Washington’s northernmost coast, inland to the mountains and north into southern British Columbia. The Lummi subsisted in villages near the sea and forests, migrating according to the seasons and winter-ing in multi-family cedar-plank longhouses. Their livelihood and culture revolve around salmon, a resource they have depended on for thousands of years.
In the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott, the Lummi relinquished much of their traditional lands to the United States government; in return, they were allocated reserved land, the rights to fish their “usual and accustomed” places, and provisions for education and healthcare. Maintaining their rights to such provisions has been a continual struggle for the Lummi. Their strong and long-held ethic of respect for and preservation of land, waterways, and wildlife endures.
As we seek to understand our place in the history of this land and its people, we commit to truth-telling, lest we forget on whose land we gather and worship; we commit to the ongoing care of this sacred land; and with honor and respect for our Indigenous contemporaries, their ancestors, and their descendants, we commit to the ongoing work of healing and strengthening relationships with our Lummi neighbors. We ask God to help and guide us.
Please note: The content of this land acknowledgement is not the definitive word about the Lummi People. We cannot claim expertise on their deep history and culture; we can, however, continue to educate ourselves and strive to act in appropriate ways toward a better tomorrow.
