Map showing land cessions made by Native Americans in what is now Minnesota between 1784 and 1894.
Editor’s Note: In this article, the terms Anisinaabe, Ojibwe, and Chippewa are used interchangeably. See the following URL for why. whiteearth.com/history.
For some people, the concept of “compensation” is a thorny one. How can I do that? What is fairness and fairness? The struggle between money and history is involved, making it a complex and emotional topic that many individuals and organizations shy away from. It didn’t pass.
On October 6, the Synod announced that it would donate $185,400, $100 and $1,100 to the Chippewa Tribe of Minnesota. This includes the leader of his six enclaves of tribes (White Earth, Boisforte, Grand Portage, Mirlac, Fond du Lac, and Reach Lake). , as an act of reparation. “This number makes sense. broken land podcast. “It means a lot to the stories we share with our Native American neighbors at this place.”
In 1854, 1855, and 1866, treaties were signed between the Anisinaave tribe and the federal government, in which the tribes ceded nearly 10 million acres of land in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The year of these treaties coincides with the reparations made by the Synod: 1854(00) + 1(00) + 11(00).
Synod Evangelist Director and Minister for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Colleen Verne said: [the number] It was meaningful to the tribal community and would encourage people who might not know the story to say, “What is this number?” These have provided an opportunity for us to say that these are the treaties that allow you to build the community you live in.
The Synod’s first press release described reparations as “repairing: undoing those who were violently separated”. “There’s a lot to learn about storytelling,” she said. “Storytelling in which we are the receiver and the listener. When we learn stories, we begin to see each other in each other’s stories and feel that is the beginning of a relationship.
The Synod didn’t want acclaim or notoriety as far as actually donating money to the Chippewa Tribe of Minnesota. “There was no ceremony at all,” Verne said. “There was absolutely no pomp and circumstance. This was a gift given with the promise of re-pairing broken relationships and broken trust. The check was presented between Bishop Amy and the President.” [Cathy] Chabert at dinner.
Oddgren said the dinner with Chavers, chairman of the Minnesota Chippewa Nation’s executive committee and chairman of the Boaforte Reservation, was “just a fun meeting.” They soon connected through their shared fashion sense and experience of being a grandmother, with Oddgren sharing the work the Synod did and her hopes of returning his land to his tribe in the years to come. shared. They both promised to converse more often at dinner. I got
Reparations from the Synod were welcomed by the tribes, who voted unanimously to accept the gift at an executive meeting on 28 October. Chippewa, Minnesota executive Gary Fraser, his director, thanked the leadership for how this gift could be used “so that children currently in foster care can be reunited with their families.” shared what they had discussed.
“We appreciate the honesty shown by the Lutheran Church in its past mistakes and look forward to a closer relationship in the future.”
“Know the Context”
Atonement is a big conversation going on across the country, including in our churches. Bernu, a direct descendant of the Osaugie community of the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior’s Lake Chippewa, shared some thoughts on churches and synods that want compensation for indigenous communities. Understand the cultures and communities of the indigenous peoples you plan to participate in this work. Understand the community’s priorities and what is important to them and what they feel is the community’s restoration work.
“For us, the commitment to make reparations and return land without any relationship and figure out how to live together in the future was just an act.
Odgren adds: Because that deep learning leads to a commitment to building relationships, and it’s all about relationships. “
Synod leaders will continue to follow through on their commitment to building relationships with neighboring Ojibwe people. “This is the beginning,” he explained McWaters. “This is not the last step. We have found our place together here and just started writing this story together again.”
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