Summer's End takes place on land that has been violently and coercively stolen from Indigenous peoples, who have been here since time immemorial. What has happened and is continuing to happen to Black and Indigenous peoples on this land is genocide. It is of the utmost importance for us to recognize this in order to actively and deliberately decolonize and liberate all peoples and ensure the wellbeing of this planet. 80% of the earth's remaining biodiversity is protected by Indigenous peoples.[1] Decolonization is not something that can be done overnight, and it is not something to use as just a hashtag. Decolonization is also not merely an undoing of past colonization, but a dismantling of current systems of colonization and colonialism, as well as the empowering of Indigenous peoples, cultures, languages, and full sovereignty and return of lands. It is an act of love for each other, and for the land as part of that. Current Location Each year, Summer's End takes place at different venue locations, which we rent using conference fees and fundraising. We strive to be educated about the specific people whose land we are on, and the histories specific to those given areas and peoples in order to appropriately respect the people, the land, and all living things. At the time of writing this post, we do not currently have an announcement for where our conference will be located this year. (This will be sent in updates through our newsletter.) Sundown Towns and Transportation We are also conscientious of the legacy of sundown towns, and keep this in mind when we choose the location of our conference. If we have ever chosen a location with a reputation that you are aware of that we have not been able to find, we encourage you to let us know. We also will arrange transportation with you to the conference from your location, should you need a ride or wish accompaniment, regardless of your background. Footnotes [1] This statistic is often shared without its source, which is a 2005 report by World Resources Institute (WRI) in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, and World bank, titled "World Resources Report 2005: The Wealth of the Poor - Managing Ecosystems to Fight Poverty." This report comes from a colonial angle and was intended to see the rural impoverished as people who simply hadn't exploited their resources appropriately for economic liberation. The exact number of 80% has also likely changed since 2005 in some way, though an updated statistic has not been found by us at the time of writing this acknowledgement. Special thank you to the Native Governance Center for their guide to Indigenous land acknowledgement. If you are unsure whose land you are on, use Native-Land.ca as a jumping off point for your own research. Blog Archives
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