Beyond land acknowledgements

“I worry that my family and other settlers like us will see this as a call out. It is, but it’s an invitation too.” -The Sunshine Cure

As an accompaniment to my Electric Literature essay, “The Sunshine Cure,” I crafted a set of resources to invite other settlers into the work that guided my essay. It can be extremely challenging to look critically at our own family history, but doing so helps ground us in deeper understanding about the harms we’ve been complicit in – and the contributions we can make towards repair. This work is ongoing for me, and I invite dialogue, critique, and collaboration. Who is/are the Indigenous nation(s) that have always lived in the place you called home?

Zine: “15 Questions for Settlers to Ask About Home”

I am grateful to the creators of the Questions about Home: Qwul'sih'yah'maht, Robina Thomas (Lyackson of the Coast Salish Nation) with input from Corrina Gould (Chochenyo Ohlone from the Confederated Villages of Lisjan), Johnella LaRose (Shoshone-Bannock), Nick Tilsen (Oglala-Lakota), Annie Morgan Banks, and Chanelle Gallant. Thanks to The Catalyst Project for granting me permission to reprint the questions. I encourage people to explore the other resources available through The Sogorea Te Land Trust and to support their work. 

The zine incorporates my original collage work and was printed on risograph at Common Area Maintenance. This zine is available free of charge, but limited copies remain. Reach out if you’re interested in one.

Workshop: Beyond Land Acknowledgements: Settler Stories, Rematriation, and Reimagining How We Think about Home

This workshop was developed as part of my residency at Pine Meadow Ranch and offered in March 2024 in Sisters, Oregon. In addition to using the zine as a learning resource, the workshop was centered around two questions: How did we come to be settlers in the places we call home? And how do we begin to grapple with our own settler legacies? 

After giving a brief talk, I guided participants through a facilitated dialogue and writing/reflection exercises. I’d love to offer this workshop again. Reach out if you’re interested in hosting me. 

You can see a few images of the zine below. To order a copy, reach out to Natasha.