Parish News

During the month of November, a Land Acknowledgment will be read as we begin our weekend and Thanksgiving Day liturgies. A Land Acknowledgment is a formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as the traditional stewards of the land.

The land that St. Thomas occupies today is part of the homeland of the Council of Three Fires. The Council of Three Fires was formed, in part, by the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi tribes.

• The Ojibwe were the first tribe to ignite the flames of the Council and are the Keepers of the Medicine and Faith, entrusted with sacred scrolls and teachings.
• The Odawa were the second to join the Council and are the Keepers of the Trade, responsible for providing food and goods to the Nation.
• The Potawatomi were the last to join and their duty is to be Keepers of the Fire, which is at the root of their culture.

From a faith perspective, the Land Acknowledgment is read before liturgies to recognize that long before we dedicated St. Thomas as a place of prayer, there were First Nations for whom this very land was sacred. We, also, are called to continue good stewardship of the land that was originated by indigenous peoples.

Land Acknowledgment Statement

As we gather for worship this day in this sacred space, we acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the ancestral homeland of the Council of Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi Nations. More than a dozen other Nations called this region of Northeastern Illinois home. Until their forced removal, this land was their home, the source of their food, their gathering space, their place of healing, and their sacred space. We recognize the enduring presence of Indigenous peoples connected to and on this land. We commit to continually learning how to be better stewards of the land we inhabit and the people we encounter.