Land Acknowledgment
We give thanks for the land which God created as a precious gift. We honor the Indigenous peoples who long knew the land of our parish more than 10,000 years before it was established over 300 years ago, including the Patawomeck and Rappahannock Tribes who still live here.
We also acknowledge the impact of European colonization and the atrocities committed against Indigenous communities—including genocide, forced removals, cultural suppression, and violence. We express deep remorse for these, and all historic injustices, inflicted upon the Patawomeck, Rappahannock, Manahoac, and all Indigenous peoples. We acknowledge these past wrongs and recognize the ongoing impacts of colonization on Indigenous communities today.
We are grateful for the wisdom, resilience, and cultural contributions of Indigenous peoples, and we affirm our interconnectedness with all people and all of creation.
We pledge to work towards right relationships, justice, equity, and repair. We pray for God’s grace and wisdom in this work.
The above land acknowledgment was prayerfully written by our Racial Justice and Healing Commission and in conversation with the local Patawomeck Tribe.