This month, we are focusing on the movement to return and rematriate stolen Indigenous homelands – the movement for #LandBack.
At the recent conference on The Religious Origins of White Supremacy: Johnson v. M’Intosh and the Doctrine of Christian Discovery, Onondaga Nation educator Jake Edwards (Eel clan) addressed the fundamental necessity for land back. Edwards stated, “The truth of the matter is there’s no trust… this isn’t something new, because of court cases… but [because of] your position on our land, which by the way should be returned immediately to help build trust.”
While the pace of return is still slow, the movement is growing, with municipalities, state and federal governments, land conservation organizations, faith-based organizations, and private individuals returning land to Indigenous Peoples and Nations. Locally, New York State committed in 2022 to return 1000 acres of Onondaga homelands to Onondaga Nation stewardship as part of a Superfund settlement with the Honeywell Corporation. While the deed has not yet been transferred, this commitment is historic.
Here are several articles and a film that provide an overview of the LandBack movement across the so-called United States:
From grassroots to governments, LANDBACK returns stolen land
HESAPA – A LANDBACK FILM by NDN Collective
How the Land Back Movement Is Unraveling Manifest Destiny
The term “land back” is sometimes used to refer to co-management agreements, increased access for cultural use, or to instances in which Indigenous Peoples are able to buy back their stolen land. Here, we lift up stories of the most robust form of land back – the actual return of dispossessed lands, without strings or conditions attached.
Indigenous Land Return Announcement by Sogorea Te’ Land Trust and Movement Generation!
LA’s Largest-Ever Land Back an ‘Important Step’ in the Movement
Upper Sioux Agency State Park to be returned to Minnesota tribe
Monthly Events:
NOON Steering Committee Open Meeting. Next meeting Tuesday, January 16, 7-8:30 PM. Please contact Lee Cridland, Peace Council Staff, for more info.
Indigenous News:
At tribal summit, Biden says he’s working to ‘heal the wrongs of the past’ and ‘move forward’
Tonawanda Senecas sue to halt pipeline
Montauketts’ Bid for N.Y. State Recognition Is Vetoed for the 5th Time
Joe Biden supports Haudenosaunee Nationals effort to compete in the 2028 Olympics
NCAI vote to exclude state recognized Nations fails
The Endangered Species Act’s complicated legacy in Indian Country
Resources
Indigenous Principles of Just Transition – by the indigenous Environmental Network
The Land Is Not Our Own: Seeking Repair Alongside Indigenous Communities – A program by Just Faith Ministries and the Nuns and Nones Land justice project that inspires and equips people of faith to stand alongside Native communities in working for justice and repair.
Liberating Wealth as a Prayer for the Earth – Brittany Koteles of the Land Justice Project, Peter Forbes of First Light, Pat McCabe (Woman Stands Shining), and Neil Thupar of Minnow.
NATIVE THOUGHT LEADERS EXPLORE: What Does Native Justice Look Like?
Places to Visit:
Skä•noñh – Great Law of Peace Center, 6680 Onondaga Lake Pkwy. Liverpool, NY 13088. Skä•noñh is a Haudenosaunee Cultural Center focused on telling the story of the native peoples of central New York. Now open from 10am-4pm Wednesday-Friday, and 11am-4pm on Saturday.
Ganondagan State Historic Site, 7000 County Road 41 (Boughton Hill Road) Victor, NY 14564. Bark Longhouse open May-October.
Seneca Iroquois National Museum, 82 W Hetzel St. Salamanca, NY 14779.
Iroquois Museum, 324 Caverns Road. Howes Cave, NY 12092.
Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community, 4934 State Highway 5. Fonda, NY.
About Us:
Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) is a grassroots organization of Central New Yorkers which recognizes and supports the sovereignty of the traditional government of the Onondaga Nation. A program of the Syracuse Peace Council, NOON supports the right of Indigenous Peoples to reclaim land, and advocates for fair settlement of any claims which are filed. We are always looking for more folks to join our work in Central New York. Learn more here.
NOON works on the territory of the Onondaga Nation,
Firekeepers of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
We express our deep gratitude to the Onondaga Nation for caring for these lands, waters, and all our fellow beings since time immemorial.
We offer heartfelt apologies for the terrible violence that colonizers have carried out against the Onondaga People and Nation, including theft of land and attempted genocide. We are thankful for their perseverance and survival. We commit ourselves to working in solidarity with the Onondaga Nation to protect their sovereignty and create a shared, sustainable future for all life.
