Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice is based in Madison, but we are a statewide organization. As people of faith committed to justice for all peoples, we acknowledge that we are situated on the Indigenous lands of the Menominee, Ojibwe (Chippewa), Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Potawatomie, Sauk and Meskwaki, Kickapoo, and other nations who cherished this place. (discover whose land you are living on here. Learn more about land acknowledgement here.) We make this acknowledgement to honor the history, culture, traditions, and rich legacy of the Native peoples who have lived here and continue to live here and contribute to our society. We further make this acknowledgement as one small piece of ongoing efforts to end the erasure of their contributions and of the true history of how the United States was formed. We will continue to lift up Native American rights and issues in our work and to reach out in ally-ship with the Indigenous Nations in Wisconsin. For information and resources on how you can help support this work, please see our blog from 11-25-20 and the resource list below. This is a work in progress and by no means comprehensive. Check back for updates.
Native American Resources and Organizations to Support:
National
Native American Rights Fund - Since 1970, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) has provided legal assistance to Indian tribes, organizations, and individuals nationwide who might otherwise have gone without adequate representation. NARF has successfully asserted and defended the most important rights of Indians and tribes in hundreds of major cases, and has achieved significant results in such critical areas as tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, natural resource protection, and Indian education.
Local, National, and Tribal Organizations
Native American Agriculture Fund - The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) provides grants to eligible organizations for business assistance, agricultural education, technical support, and advocacy services to support Native farmers and ranchers.
Inter-tribal Agriculture Council - The Intertribal Agriculture Council was founded in 1987 to pursue and promote the conservation, development and use of our agricultural resources for the betterment of our people.
Illuminative - Created and led by Native peoples, IllumiNative is a new nonprofit initiative designed to increase the visibility of – and challenge the negative narrative about – Native Nations and peoples in American society.
National Museum of the American Indian - A diverse and multifaceted cultural and educational enterprise, the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) is an active and visible component of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum complex. The NMAI cares for one of the world's most expansive collections of Native artifacts, including objects, photographs, archives, and media covering the entire Western Hemisphere, from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego.
Indian Country Today – indigenous news source
Land Acknowledgement Resources:
Are you planning to do a Land Acknowledgement?
NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS INITIATIVES: Land Acknowledgement
Native Land Digital: We strive to map Indigenous lands in a way that changes, challenges, and improves the way people see the history of their countries and peoples. We hope to strengthen the spiritual bonds that people have with the land, its people, and its meaning. We strive to map Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages across the world in a way that goes beyond colonial ways of thinking in order to better represent how Indigenous people want to see themselves.We provide educational resources to correct the way that people speak about colonialism and indigeneity, and to encourage territory awareness in everyday speech and action.
Native Governance Center: A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
Native Land: Territory Acknowledgement
'I regret it': Hayden King on writing Ryerson University's territorial acknowledgement
Beyond territorial acknowledgments
Wisconsin
Menīkānaehkem, Inc: Menīkānaehkem is a grassroots community organization based on the Menominee Reservation in Northeast Wisconsin working to revitalize our communities.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services – American Indians in Wisconsin: History
American Indian Chamber of Commerce - The American Indian Chamber of Commerce (AICCW) exists to promote economic development in Wisconsin Indian Country through directed service delivery to American Indian entrepreneurs. The mission of our sister organization, the First American Capital Corporation (FACC) is to perform economic development activities that benefit Wisconsin's Indian Country by increasing access to capital in the form of business loans, providing technical assistance services that strengthen the skills of Native entrepreneurs, and by advocating for Indian owned businesses to create new business opportunities -- both on and off the reservations.
Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance and Renewal by Patty Loew
Wisconsin Tribes and Organizations: Wisconsin Judicare
Wisconsin First Nations: American Indian Studies in Wisconsin -
This collection of resources provides educators and pre-service teachers accurate and authentic educational materials for teaching about the American Indian Nations of Wisconsin
Wisconsin Indian Education Association -
The Wisconsin Indian Education Association (WIEA) was established in 1985 by a group of concerned Indian Educators to carry on the efforts of the former Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (GLITC) Education sub-committee.