Indigenous Land Acknowledgement

The Native Land Map indicates that four indigenous tribes resided at the present location of St. John’s Lutheran Church – Wappinger, Mohican, Munsee Lenape, and Schaghticoke peoples.

The congregation of St. John’s gives visibility to the following statement: “St. John’s is located on the original and ancestral homelands of the Munsee Lenape, Schaghticoke, and Wappinger peoples. We give thanks for their presence here since time immemorial and wish to recognize and honor all our Indigenous siblings who have and who continue to call this land their home.”

You are encouraged to know the history of the indigenous peoples who preceded the colonization of Stamford:
Wappinger (wapp-in-jer)
Mohican (mōˈhēk[ə]n)
Munsee Lenape (mun-see Li-naa-pi)
Schaghticoke (skat-ee-coke)

To learn more about indigenous land acknowledgement, check out these resources:
ELCA resource on land acknowledgement
A Declaration to American Indian and Alaska Native People
Living Lutheran “Telling the Truth About the Lands We Inhabit”
ELCA “Healing and Truth Movement”