First Steps To Reconciliation:

Wampanoag Solidarity Family Action Toolkit for Newton Families

Share these toolkit with a friend: http://bit.ly/sis-resources

Dear fellow Families Organizing For Racial Justice,

As parents, educators, and stewards of the land that we currently call Newton - celebrating the myth of a ‘first’ thanksgiving continues to harm those who observe this time as a National Day of Mourning.

We must take responsibility for the ways we’ve benefited from and been complicit in colonization. In seeking racial justice, we must model action for our kids - repairing our relationships with the land, with the way we observe and learn from history, and with each other.

1. Raising kids to value honesty means we must have age-appropriate conversations about colonization and its impact on Indigenous people.
2. Raising kids to act for justice means we must empower kids with simple action tools toward reconciliation.
3. Raising kids to be inclusive means we must listen to Indigenous people and follow their lead in decolonization.

If you’re looking for a way to acknowledge and honor Indigenous Heritage Month, start with the simple steps in this toolkit to engage your children in learning about decolonization.

You are raising the next generation of brilliant leaders. Support your children in being the kind and courageous people they want to be.

Together with you,

Ashia R. of FORJ Countryside Elementary & Raising Luminaries
www.RaisingLuminaries.com

Kid-Friendly Word Bank

Language gives kids a framework of what we’re talking about. When we talk about family, this includes family of origin, adoptive and chosen family. Find more terms & definitions in the full SIS Word Bank.

• Indigenous - The first and original people living in a place..
• Culture - The rules and behavior we see as normal in our family and community.
• Values - The things people in our culture care about, what we see as right and good goals and ideas.
• Ancestors - People in our family who lived before us and contributed to how we live today.
• Descendants - People in our family who are born after us.
• Heritage - The family history and cultural practices given to us by our Ancestors. Many people have more than one heritage.
• Tribe, Nation, or Band - An official group of people who share cultural traditions, beliefs, family, and/or language. DO: refer to individual Indigenous people by their specific official group. DON’T: Use the word ‘tribe’ unless you’re talking about an official Indigenous group.
• Colonization / Colonialism - Invading and controlling another country and the people who live there to become the dominant culture. Colonization includes taking land and homes, banning cultural traditions, forced assimilation, and hurting, killing, kidnapping, and/or enslaving people.
• Oppression - Cruelty and abuse towards people with less power, caused by unfair rules made by people who abuse and take advantage of power.
• Decolonize - To bring back independence for Indigenous people who have been harmed by colonization so all people inhabiting an area are free from oppression.
• Immigrant - Anyone who moves to one nation from another and plans to stay for a very long time.
• Colonist - People who occupy and take power over another country, and take advantage of the land, resources, and actively or unintentionally oppress people Indigenous to the land.
• Settler - Immigrants and their descendants who continue the harm of colonization, but by learning and taking action to support Indigenous rights, can assist Indigenous people in decolonization.
• Displanted – African people who were enslaved, forced from their ancestral lands, and not allowed to go home.
• Land Acknowledgement - Naming and honoring the Indigenous people who have original and special relationships with the land, with a promise to take steps toward their freedom and safety
• Reconciliation - Listening to people who we are harming and doing what they ask of us so we can all heal together.

Bear’s Home (Or is it Horse’s?) - A Conundrum

Wanna hear a story? It goes like this…

Long ago, Horse bought a little cottage by a lake from Sparrow.

But it turned out that Sparrow didn’t own that cottage. It wasn’t hers to sell. Sparrow stole that cottage from Bear!

Before Sparrow stole it, Bear had helped Sparrow when she hit hard times - even baked her cupcakes for her birthday! Sparrow gives great hugs, donates to charity, but sometimes she can do thoughtless, selfish things. And this particularly selfish thing takes the cake.

Here’s the thing - Bear and his family cared for the lake and lived on this land for thousands of years. Bear built this cottage and named it the Bristly Burrow, generations ago. They know all about this lake, and how to take care of it.

But now - Horse has moved all of their feed bags and tchotchkes and videogames into the cottage. They’ve had a bunch of foals and they’ve repaired, re-roofed, and added a foosball table - really made the place their own. At this point, three generations of Horse’s descendants have been born and lived their entire lives in Sugarcube Hollow. (They renamed it, too).

Meanwhile - after Sparrow broke in, changed all the locks, and stole his cottage, Bear and his family had nowhere to go, and were forced to move to another lake. They don’t have documents there, and they’re worried they could get kicked out if the authorities arrive.

Bear still loves his home. He’s annoyed to hear of Horse littering the place with their coffee cups and sugar cube boxes and pooping in the lake. (Horse gives good hugs too, but they still haven’t learned how to clean up after themself.)

Recently, Horse’s grandchildren found out the home they love is stolen land. (They feel pretty terrible about that.) But it’s been so long, there is nowhere else for them to go, either.

So my question to you is - whose home is this, exactly? Is it Bristly Burrow, or Sugarcube Hollow? Or, could it be both, somehow? Is there a way for Horse, Bear, and their families to live together in peace?

Good thing you’re smart. I think I’m gonna need your help figuring this out.

Why we start with a Land Acknowledgement

What would you do if you were in this tricky situation?

Both Horse and Bear want safe and peaceful homes for their children. What would you do if you were Horse, or Bear?

1. Start with the truth - the truth is the land beneath us, the air, water, plants, animals, and people around us. What’s the history and truth of what happened here - Way Back When, through to Today?
2. Acknowledge how we are connected to this place, and our relationship with the land - the same way Bear and Horse have relationships with the lakeside cottage.
3. Brainstorm how we can help the people who got the worst of this bad deal - like Bear’s family, without just re-doing that same harm to Horse.

As residents of Newton - we live in a place that was stolen from another people, we can state the truth with a Land Acknowledgement - which helps us learn about the history of our homes and the people who have relationships with this place.

Land Acknowledgement Example: Starting with this toolkit

This toolkit was created by settlers Kerry P. and Ashia R. to help kids start decolonizing their learning. We live in the original homelands of the Wampanoag and Massachusett Tribal Nations.

We are grateful to the First People for caring and fighting for this land - and hope to honor their stories, ancestors, traditions, and cultures.

By living here as settlers, we benefit from the violence colonization has done (and continues to do) to Indigenous people. Our being here makes life harder for Indigenous people and it’s our responsibility to fix that.

This means we must understand the history of colonization, and how we are harming Indigenous people local to us right now. We must take action to stop and repair that harm.

It’s our responsibility to listen to local Indigenous people and support their efforts. Understanding our history is only the first step. We must take daily action as parents and educators to dismantle colonialism. If (when) we overstep or make mistakes, we are grateful for the gift of honest feedback from Indigenous people on how we can do better.

Send feedback to: KerryPrasad@gmail.com, or if you feel unsafe, fill out an anonymous feedback form at https://forms.gle/Fe1dw2xakS7cX1AG7

My Acknowledgement: Understand Our Connection To The Land

1. What do you call this place you live in? What other names has this land been known as?
   I live in a place that is currently called ____________________________________, also known as _____________________________________________________________________________________
   
2. Who lived here before you?* Were they your ancestors - or someone else’s?
   *Start at https://native-land.ca/ to learn more
   Are your family Indigenous (like Bear), Colonizers (like Sparrow), Settlers (like Horse), or a mix of these?
   My ancestors are: _____________________________________________________________________
   And I am:  _____________________________________________________________________________
   
3. If someone else lived here before your family - where do you think the First People went? Do you think they left willingly, or unwillingly?

The people Indigenous to this place are called the ____________________________________,
Their descendants currently live in ____________________________________________________ because __________________________________________________________________________.

4. How did you come to be in this place? Did you, or your ancestors, leave another place to come here? If so, was it willingly, or unwillingly?

My family is originally from __________________________________________________________. We stayed/left becuase ____________________________________________________________.

5. If you were Bear, and want good things for Horse and for Horse to help make things right - what would you want Horse to do? ____________________________________________________________________________________

6. If you were Horse’s family, and want  Bear to feel safe and free - how could you help  Bear?
   ____________________________________________________________________________________

Compassionate Advocacy Letter - From Adult Caregiver To Educators

Dear [Teacher],

[My child] enjoys your class so much, especially [favorite subject]. I appreciate how you teach the children to respectfully listen and work together. Such an important tool you’re providing our children!

When I saw the Thanksgiving day project that my child came home with, I remember all the projects I was proud of from my own school days. While I have nostalgia for these memories, that pride has turned to regret.

Our generation was taught that the relationship between the Wampanoag people and Pilgrims was celebrated by a friendly feast. The details of how we took over this land were left unsaid.

I later learned that the Indigenous people who stewarded this land were intentionally and brutally targeted with acts of genocide. And yet - they are still here. In fact, Indigenous people throughout the continent recognize this day as a National Day of Mourning.

Indigenous parents and children have reported feeling hurt and unsafe when their teachers and peers celebrate this holiday. As a(n) [Indigenous family/ immigrant /descendant of immigrants] our children can’t help but feel sorrow when we celebrate a holiday that the then-Governor of the Mass Bay Colony signed into law as “a day of celebration and thanksgiving for subduing the Pequots,” by which he meant - his people massacred 700 Pequot men, women, and children, brutally slaughtering and burning them alive.

I’d hate for our children to learn that it’s okay to ignore friends and peers when they tell us we are frightening and hurting them.

Many cities and schools across the country are using this as an opportunity to teach critical thinking. I think you might enjoy this, too. Educators are offering a balanced history in the classroom and observing a National Day of Mourning. This day encourages students to learn about the history of Indigenous nations local to us, such as the Wampanoag, Massachusett, and Pequot people - and how we can support Indigenus family and friends here today.

You are a great teacher because you care deeply about all our kids and value fairness and equality. This is why I felt you might be open to my sharing this idea. Thank you so much for taking time to consider it!

Sincerely, [Your name here]

For a template letter to advocate for Indigenous Peoples’ Day in lieu of Columbus day, along with template letters for both emerging writers and advanced students, visit bit.ly/SISIndigenousPeoplesDayToolkit

5 Talking Points for Families

1. In illustrations of Wampanoag people and early colonists used to celebrate Thanksgiving, colonists are fully dressed while Indigenous people are often depicted as scantily-clad, even in the dead of winter. Why do illustrators choose to do that?
   
2. How do Indigenous people feel about the Massachusetts state seal? Who can you ask to help you find out?
   
3. Look closely at our Newton city seal. (You can easily find one on your trash and recycling bins.) Which person in the image looks smart, powerful, and competent? What is it about this imagery that gives you that impression?
   
4. When you see Indigenous people in school books and other media, what time period do they live in? Why is it harmful to depict Indigenous people as only living in the past?
   
5. What is one way we can honor and respect our local Indigenous communities with our words or actions?

Kid-Friendly Collaborative Action Bingo

Kids learn that their actions matter by doing. Help them choose five actions to complete within the next five months and put them on your calendar!

If you printed this document and can’t click links, find the website address in the Additional Resources section on the following page.

KEEP GOING! Additional Resources

Website information for bingo action steps

• The Wampanoag Way                 youtu.be/SmisO7pdMW4
• 6 Misconceptions about Native Americans         youtu.be/GHdW_LVfn28
• Wampanoag Wetu                        youtu.be/vwIbSysyy5Q
• Black Indians of Wampanoag        youtu.be/tkJ6p8G0V2Q
• Âs Nutayuneân                        youtu.be/s0Vi4svvnVg
• Mashpee Wampanoag Museum           mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/museum
• Aquinnah Cultural Center                wampanoagtribe.org/about-cultural-center
• Hassanamisco Indian Museum        nipmucmuseum.org
• Wampanoag Homesite                bit.ly/2WXlfFG
• MFA Native North American Gallery         http://bit.ly/2PZoafL
• National Day of Mourning (Plymouth)        uaine.org/default.htm
• Indigenous Peoples Day (Newton)                indigenouspeoplesdayma.org/newton
• Change The Mass Flag                         changethemassflag.com

Support Local Indigenous-Led Organizations!

• First Light Foundation (FirstLightFoundation.net)
• The Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project (wlrp.org)
• United American Indians of New England (UAINE.org)
• Support Indigenous Rights in MA legislation         MAIndigenousAgenda.org

Further Reading

• Fast Turtle answers kids’ questions about 1621 ‘Thanksgiving’ encounter        http://bit.ly/2PZoafL
• Deconstructing Myths of the ‘First Thanksgiving’ - Judy Dow http://bit.ly/2KgEntb
• Kids Books Dismantling The Myth of ‘The First Thanksgiving’ BooksForLittles.com/thanksgiving
• Native Land Map                  native-land.ca
• Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Website         WampanoagTribe.org
• Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe website                 MashpeeWampanoagTribe-nsn.gov

Transparency & Accountability:

This toolkit (http://bit.ly/SISDecolonizeNewton) is a living document, adapted with permission from the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Toolkit (bit.ly/SISIndigenousPeoplesDayToolkit) created by the Student Ignition Society of Raising Luminaries (www.RaisingLuminaries.com), for use in the November 2019 event: First Light & Steps Toward Reconciliation organized by Newton (MA, USA) Families Organizing For Racial Justice organized by members Ashia R. (Countryside FORJ) & Kerry P. (FORJ at Brown). Sign up for when we create new toolkits at www.patreon.com/booksforlittles.

Deep gratitude to members of the Raising Luminaries and Books For Littles community who contributed for last-minute photocopy expenses, with surplus directed toward the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project and the International Indigenous Youth Council (IndigenousYouth.org). The First Light Foundation performance was sponsored by redirecting 25% of our projected Raising Luminaries patreon income in November 2019 (Ashia R.) and Annawon’s travel expenses were donated by Kerry P.