As we seek to build a life and community, here at Shaolin Kung Fu Center of Hadley, we acknowledge that this land is stolen land. The land along this stretch of the Quinnitukqut (Long River) is the traditional land of the Nonotuck, one of many Algunquin tribal peoples. We would also like to acknowledge other regional tribes of the Nipmuc, the Pocumtuck, the Mohican, the Wampanoag, the Abanaki, the Mohegan, the Pequot, and the Mohawk, as well as many, many others across this land. It is up to each of us that plan to work and steward this land, to face that difficult history and our role in it.

The Indigenous and native peoples of Turtle Island, the land in which this country sits, faced horrible treatment, including violent oppression, theft, and genocide at the hands of colonizers and their enablers. Due to this treatment, and the racist and discriminatory policies of this country over the centuries, many native tribes are no more. Those that are left still face discrimination, mistreatment, and attacks on their rights as sovereign nations and peoples, and to their lands. This struggle is intersectional, as fighting for the rights of Native people traverses the boundaries of advocating for anti-racism, LGBTQ2S+ rights, woman's rights, and the rights of the working class.

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We also acknowledge that while it is common to view this as just part of a difficult past, these struggles are in fact part of the present, and not just a part of history. The generational trauma and continued oppression faced by Indigenous communities is ongoing. The effects of the genocide, theft of land, and pervasive ignorance and disregard all reach into the present day, and will continue into the future, unless we can break the cycle and help all communities heal.

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Because of that, it is not nearly enough to name the failings of the past, this acknowledgement is the first step in reparations. Martial arts teach us that actions matter, in the ring and in our hearts. In training, just talking about kung fu will not make your kung fu better. It is in the doing that we grow.

 

Ways to take action:

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• Learn about the Native people that were stewards of this land for thousands of years before Europeans arrived.

• Research and get involved in Local, State, and Federal legislative efforts to support Indigenous people.

• Support Efforts to return public lands to the Native Tribes that hold that land sacred. This can include conservation easements to permanently protect privately owned land.

• Speak out in your schools against the white washed history of these lands, either as students or parents, and ensure schools teach the truth of our past.

• Advocate within your community, and within your family, to make changes, like celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day and the Day of Mourning.

• Speak up against the mistreatment and appropriation of sacred imagery and stories.

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Here are some links you can follow for more information.

 

https://maindigenousagenda.org/

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https://www.indigenouspeoplesdayma.org/

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https://www.nativelandconservancy.org/

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https://native-land.ca/listings/territories/nonotuck

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https://www.embracingequity.org/post/tribal-land-acknowledgements---what-they-are-and-why-we-need-to-do-them

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Finally, we are very thankful and eternally grateful for the many Native voices that shared their stories, and inspire us daily. Any one looking to write their own acknowledgment, please take the time to listen first.

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*Aphorism translated into Ojibwe by Alphonse Pitawanakwat (https://ojibwe.net/aphorisms-by-alphonse-pitawanakwat/) and shared with us by Tomantha Sylvester