By the Indigenous Ministry Team of the Commission for Intercultural Ministries–the Rev. Canon Tina Campbell, Miriam Casey, and Patricia Heinicke.

Members of the Church of the Incarnation in Santa Rosa and Trinity Cathedral in Sacramento have been working with Rose Hammock and Taylor Pennewell from Redbud Resource Group to learn about Native culture and to develop meaningful land acknowledgments.    

With funding from a Becoming Beloved Community grant, Rose and Taylor lead the groups through a process to understand and appreciate the culture of the local Native community. They learned about the history of The tribal communities in Northern California, their shared values, and what is important to have a meaningful relationship with the local Native community. The concept of allyship was explored and the importance of taking actions to strengthen Native sovereignty. Both groups drafted land acknowledgments and will continue to refine them, as well as continue efforts to build relationships with the local Native community.  

Redbud Resource Group is a valuable resource. Their mission is to build bridges between Native and non-Native communities. They offer webinars to provide guidance for non-Natives about developing and growing relationships with tribal communities and other consultation services. Their website is https://www.redbudresourcegroup.org/who-we-are. To contact them, email info@redbudresourcegroup.org. 

The effort to reach out to our Indigenous neighbors and develop relationships that reflect respect, reciprocity, and allyship is part of our call to build beloved communities. Land acknowledgment is part of that journey. The Rev. Canon Tina Campbell, Indigenous Missioner for the Diocese of Northern California, is an invaluable resource for this work. She can be reached at tinarcampbell@comcast.net.  

Submitted by the Indigenous Ministry Team of the Commission for Intercultural Ministries–the Rev. Canon Tina Campbell, Miriam Casey, and Patricia Heinicke.