D019 Acknowledgement of Indigenous Lands
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,
That the 80th General Convention shall promote the acknowledgement of Indigenous Lands at all gatherings within the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (TEC) and its affiliate organizations; and be it further
Resolved, that the Standing Committee on Programs, Budgets, and Finance allocate an additional amount up to $50,000 per year to fund the implementation of this resolution under the guidance of the Indigenous Ministries Office to conduct research, to provide training, and to assist dioceses and churches in their efforts to identify and acknowledge Indigenous lands in their local areas.
Explanation
General Convention Resolution 2012-A131 stated;
Resolved, That the 77th General Convention expresses its solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples of the world and supports the rights of Indigenous Peoples to live in and retain their traditional lands and territories, to maintain their languages and enrich their cultures, and to ensure that their traditions are strengthened and passed on for generations to come.
The purpose of this resolution is to expand on the work that was started in 2012-A131. It moves the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (TEC) from walking aside Indigenous Peoples of the Land to recognizing the lands on which we worship, work, and live as lands that do not belong to us but only serve as our temporary residences. It moves us closer to the Way of Love. The Way of Love sets us on a path to Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, and Rest. All of these are foundational to our lives as followers of the Living Christ.
The acknowledgement of the lands on which we worship, pray, work, and live our lives helps us to appreciate that we have relationships that have not been fully understood or acknowledged. We proclaim that our church “Welcomes All’, yet at the same time, we do not acknowledge that the lands on which we conduct our lives are not our ancestral lands. The ancestors of the land are among the “Great Cloud of Witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). This resolution serves to acknowledge those witnesses as we move toward a more Beloved Community as the Body of Christ.