The Indigenous Concerns Subcommittee was created by the Ministry Committee in February 2021. It is still in an early stage. The proposed purposes are to:
- Inform and support the PacYM community as it seeks to uncover the history and ongoing impacts of colonization in and on both Indigenous and Quaker communities,
- Increase awareness of Indigenous peoples’ struggles and joys both within and outside our Quaker communities, and
- Seek equitable and just partnership among Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples.
Background on the vision for the subcommittee can be found in its first report to PacYM Representative Committee, March 2021 (pdf) and this introductory post.
Membership: The subcommittee is seeking recommendations of members and of Indigenous Friends who may prefer to serve as an advisor or accountability partner to the subcommittee. No current members are Indigenous.
Job description: currently being revised.
Email: IndigenousConcernsClerk [at] PacificYearlyMeeting [dot] org
Table of Contents
Reports from the Subcommittee
- Indigenous Concerns Report to AS 2022
- Indigenous Concerns Report to RepCom 2022
- Indigenous Concerns Report to AS 2021
- Indigenous Concerns report to RepCom 2021
Actions and Activities
Survey of Meetings, Committees, and Orgs
The subcommittee is currently conducting a SURVEY (Deadline extended to July 31, 2021) of PacYM meetings, worship groups, committees, Quarterly Meetings, and related Quaker organizations. For more information, see this post.
Results will be compiled and shared via a link here, and they will inform an interest group at Annual Session. No individual person’s name or contact info will be shared on the website without prior consent.
Networking
What are other PacYM Friends doing on Indigenous concerns?
[forthcoming, pending survey responses and input]Braiding Sweetgrass [online] Worship Group
Hosted by PacYM Unity with Nature Committee and co-sponsored by Indigenous Concerns Subcommittee and Youth Programs Coordinating Committee. See this post about the worship group and this google doc for updates.
Friends for Right Relationship Listserv
Please share with your meetings and orgs:
→ Visit groups.google.com/g/FriendsRR and complete the Join Request Form.
Many Friends share a concern to recognize and act to repair the massive injustices committed against Indigenous Peoples, to develop better relationships, and to celebrate Indigenous cultures today. One way for these Friends to stay in touch with each other is to join the Friends for Right Relationship Google Group, which currently includes nearly 200 people across the US and Canada as well as in some other locales. The listserv is for asking questions and sharing news, resources, and relevant activities of all our Quaker communities and organizations on Indigenous matters. It is under the care of Decolonizing Quakers.
Voluntary Land Tax examples
Article on Voluntary Land Taxes (from the Native Governance Center)
Known options in the Pacific YM area:
- Ancestral Homelands Reciprocity Program supports the Nisenan Tribe: Nevada City, CA
- Shuumi Land Tax supports the Lisjan (Ohlone) Tribe: East Bay area, CA
- Wiyot Honor Tax supports the Wiyot Nation: Humboldt Bay area, CA
Each of these has been organized by the wider local community in consultation with the Tribe or Nation. Please email to let us know of any others in the PacYM region.
Some related organizations and resources
… on topics such as: land acknowledgements, legislation on reparations, ways to support healing from Quaker involvement in forced boarding schools for Native children in the US, repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery, and more:
QUAKER-RELATED
- Decolonizing Quakers (US/Canada) — Website is a resources hub
- Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) Native American Advocacy
- Nakani Native Program – former AFSC program in the Northwest US, provides training and consultation
- Toward Right Relationship with Native Peoples (not solely for Quakers) — workshops, educational materials, and research on Quaker involvement in forced boarding school era in the US
- See other yearly/monthly meetings, for example:
- Australia YM First Nations Peoples Concerns
- Boulder Friends Meeting Indigenous Peoples Concerns
- Canadian Friends Service Committee — Resource and action list
- New England YM local discernment and action
- Friends groups Repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery
GENERAL
- California Truth & Healing Council — State-sponsored, Indigenous-led
- National Council of Churches: Creation Justice Ministries – Repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery (and more)
- California Truth, Healing, & Conservation Program — Network of California community religious leaders learning and acting in support of Black and Indigenous-led initiatives
- Native-Land.ca — Interactive map and educational resources; guidance on land acknowledgements
- The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS)
- Seventh Generation Fund (Mckinleyville, CA) — Indigenous social-profit organization in the U.S. serving transnational community-based organizations: resources, technical assistance, and training
- See Decolonizing Quakers for other general resources
Contact Information
Email: IndigenousConcernsClerk [at] PacificYearlyMeeting [dot] org
Contact us page for various other PacYM contacts.
See the Complete List of PYM officers, appointees, committee members and delegates on the Roster of PacYM Officeholders page.