LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STATEMENT

First United Methodist Church of Holland, Michigan, occupies the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe (“Original People”), who are the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi peoples.

We know this land was platted and sold by European settlers under treaties that favored settlers and diminished indigenous life and culture.

Problematic Federal policies and treaties, disease, forced changes, and a general lack of understanding of and respect for Native customs and traditions made it untenable for tribal members to remain in this region.

We acknowledge the past, and going forward, we are working toward developing appropriate and respectful relationships with our First Nation siblings.

Toward that end, we offer our respect and support to tribal members past and present.