Attending:

Tom Neale, Debbie Foster, Nona Rae Driscol, Jim Bigelow, Don Stepich, Carol Elmore, Joan Williams., Diane Ryssel

Agenda:

• April 28, 2021 meeting  notes are posted on the BUUF Social Justice Blog
• Ingathering & check in
  • “European colonizers found in the Americas thousands of complex, sophisticated, and sovereign Tribal Nations, each with millennia of distinct cultural, spiritual and technological development. Over millennia, they bred, cultivated and showed the world how to utilize such plants as cotton, rubber, chocolate, corn, potatoes, tomatoes and tobacco.” — NCAI President Fern Sharp
  • Carol — still reading the Indigenous History of the U.S.
  • Joan — still waiting to get a copy from the Library,  Jim will send Mark B’s email so she can borrow a copy
  • Tom — Doing okay, beautiful day, great conversations, learning patience
  • Debbie — was up early, busy day, making arrangements to get a copy of the Indigenous History.  Donated to the Owyhee County Museum who is hoping to visit the Duck Valley Reservation (it’s a special museum and she will share info about it)
  • Nona Rae – great weather, feeding the ducks.  Also working thru the Indigenous History, very interesting early history of the U.S.  Bought it a Barnes & Nobel’s along with Native American Almanac.  We should work with community groups rather than go it alone
  • Diane Ryssel — Has been reading the Underground Railroad and I’m still here.  White people are looking for assimilation rather than diversity.  Stumped at how to engage Native people w/ authenticity
  • Don — happy to see spring and to be here
  • Jim — returned not long ago from a trip to the Redwoods — beautiful. This country is so beautiful and when I was young I was amazed when it seemed so empty in places.  Now I know why – the genocidal exclusion of the people that were here before us.
• Discussion of group purpose:
  • What is the purpose of this group, what are we trying to achieve?
    • Joan — can we meet in person?  Please forward emails from Ed Keener to “the Group”
    • Diane — is there an expectation of vaccinations to be in a in-person meeting?
    • Tom — would like to continue zooming even when there are in-person meetings.
      • There are indigenous community issues that are different from those groups such as BLM.
    • Debbie — learning and understand is good, but the effecting the situation is not in our reach.
      • partnering with the Kessler Keener community makes a
    • Diane — makes a lot of sense to partner
    • Jim — is this “the Group”?  who is the “the Group”? the email list?  the people here tonight? others?”
    • Joan — I want to learn more and get more education and understanding and tag along with the K&K and Anti-Bias group, go with something that’s working and learn from them.  I’d like see the email from Ed, et al.
    • Don – I keep wondering to what extent do we want to do something tangible and to what extent do we want to develop a neighborly relations with indigenous community.
    • Tom should we start a book review/discussion of the Indigenous History.  Can we open this up to the congregations
    • Consensus:
      • There is a group  (of fluid membership) and we  do want to do something tangible and  develop neighborly relations with indigenous community.
      • We’ll organize a congregation wide book discussion of the Indigenous History,  — Diane we should have  a series of meeting need a  day, time and frequency
        • Jim will request funds from the Social Justice Council to by 3 copies of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States.
  • How does this fit with the UUA & BUUF
    • Fits with our work to fulfill the promise of the 8th principle
  • What community groups do we hope to work with?
    • Keesler Keener Foundation
    • Boise Anti-Bias Group
  • How will you know when we have achieved our goals: short term/long term? 
    • continue to meet and learn and gain understanding.
  • Will we meet again and when?
    • Tuesdays seem good as a general rule.
    • try for June 15th
    • not July
    • August 24th
  • Joan: check out the PBS specials on indigenous people,
• Closing
  • As we leave this place, we carry forth the common dream:
    • Homes and schools where children thrive,
    • Neighborhoods that are safe and clean,
    • An economy where no one is expendable,
    • A beloved community where rich and poor alike have access to the opportunity for a dignified and productive life,
  • Turning our thoughts toward charity, Our hearts toward justice, And our hands toward the work of peace.

Supplemental Information

• Indigenous People’s History of the United States
• A Brief History of Indigenous Nations v. U.S. of American
  • 1778-1820s: Treaty Era
  • 1820s-1850 Removal era
    • Trail of Tears 1830s (1838)
  • 1850s-1890 Western Expansion Indian Wars, Reservation Era
    • Treaty of Fort Laramie 1868
    • Battle of the Greasy Grass 1876
    • Dawes Allotment Act 1887 (Land Run)
    • Massacre at Wounded Knee 1890
  • 1890-1934 Allotment/Assimilation
    • Carlisle Indian Boarding School 1897-1918
    • Code of Indian Offenses 1883-1934 (Outlawed religions)
    • 1924: Indian Citizenship Act
  • 1934-1953: Self- Government Era
    • 1934: Indian Reorganization Act (tribal self-government)
  • 1953-1968 Termination Era
    • 1952: Urban Indian Relocation Program
    • 1953: Terminated Tribal Status
  • 1968-Present Self-Determination Ear
    • 1969-1971: Occupation of Alcatraz
    • 1972: Trail of Broken Treaties
    • 1973: Wounded Knee Incident
    • 1990: NAGPRA – Native American Graves Protection & Repatriation Act
    • 2012: Idle No More Movement:  A grassroots movement for indigenous sovereignty, indigenous rights and respect for the treaties. Goals include stopping environmental degradation and economic and social inequality.
    • 2016: #NoDAPL Encampment of Water Protectors
    • 2020; McGirt v. Oklahoma: Much of the eastern portion of the state of Oklahoma remains as Native American lands of the prior Indian reservations of the Five Civilized Tribes
• UUA 2020 Action of Immediate Witness: Address 400 Years of White Supremacist Colonialism
  • Continue to gather in solidarity with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, Standing Rock nation, and all Indigenous peoples struggling to preserve their lands, waters, peoples, sacred sites, and sovereignty;
  • Continue to push for release of Indigenous Water Protectors from prisons, end public policies that criminalize resistance to extractive colonialism, and adopt a vision of prison abolition;
  • Work nationally, statewide, and locally on public policy that is decolonizing – such as establishing Indigenous Peoples Day, including Indigenous peoples’ histories in public education curricula, and eliminating racist monuments, flags, and mascots;
  • Work to stop and reverse ecological harm in genuine collaboration with and taking leadership from communities most consistently and harshly impacted by extractive exploitation of land, water, air, and all beings;
  • Research, identify, and acknowledge the Indigenous peoples historically and/or currently connected with the land occupied by congregations, and find ways to act in solidarity with or even partner with those Indigenous peoples; and
  • Examine practices relative to Indigenous peoples, particularly the narratives regarding UU origins and US holidays including Thanksgiving.