As an extension of our work last year on the Witness Stones project, owning our church’s history with slavery in colonial days, a task force has been working on creating a “land acknowledgement statement” to expand our understanding of how the church came to own our property, which was once the ancestral homeland of the Narragansett people.
To that effect, we have been studying the ancient culture of indigenous people, the impact of European colonialism on their people, particularly the local impact of King Philips War and the Pettaquamscutt Purchase. We will learn from the Tomaquag Museum the issues Narragansett people are facing today, as they reclaim their culture, foodways, etc.
We are excited to bring assistant director Silvermoon LaRose to Kingston Congregational Church for a morning of education, a luncheon catered by a local indigenous chef, and an afternoon workshop, guiding us to write the Land Acknowledgement statement and use policy. We invite you to participate and also extend an invite to friends and family who may also be interested in participating in either morning/afternoon session or both.
