Steve Allison-Bunnell with the Joining Rivers Sangha writes:
Land acknowledgements at the start of various events often provoke some reactivity in me, and not out of disagreement with their sentiment or the reality they shine light on. The fact of Interbeing, as Thay calls it, and our undeniable location in the stream of life does compel us to look deeply at our relationship to this land and its longtime human stewards. That discomfort is something of the point, but it also can feel like there isn’t actually the container to fully reflect on how our presence in this place now is enabled by past injustice. So I am glad for the opportunity in our practice this week to offer that container to honor Indigenous People’s Day with our full concentration and diligence. How do you experience land acknowledgements? What do you do to find a place for what it brings up?
Please join us Monday, October 9, from 7-8:30 pm, for sitting and walking meditation. We will have a special practice of Touching the Earth to honor Indigenous People’s Day, and support one another in the Practice through Dharma Sharing.
Additional Note from the BDC: Bozeman Dharma Center sits on unceded land that was shared grounds of the Apsáalooke (Crow), Salish, Tséstho’e (Cheyenne), Niitsítpiis-stahkoii ᖹᐟᒧᐧᐨᑯᐧ ᓴᐦᖾᐟ (Blackfoot / Niitsítapi ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ), Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla peoples. Settlers of European descent claimed ownership of the land, displacing those who lived here. Please take a moment to acknowledge and honor the people of these nations, as well as all of those displaced, present and past. We lament this injustice in our history as well as ongoing systemic anti-black racism that prevents the full participation of people of color in our society. To this end we strive to contribute to the dismantling of racism where we can.