Tennessee Interfaith Power & Light

A Spiritual Response to Climate Change

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TIPL Acknowledges Indigenous Land Use

September 24, 2021 by Ted Jackson

The Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light’s steering committee offers this statement in support of indigenous peoples and the use of land:

We acknowledge that Europeans were not the first stewards of the land called ‘Tanasi’ by Cherokee natives. Indigenous Peoples have lived in what is now named ‘Tennessee’ since 10,000 BCE.  Archeological evidence indicates that Paleo-Indians occupied and thrived in the Central Basin along the Cumberland River and the western valley of the Tennessee River. Later communities of Indigenous Peoples were formed by Creek, Yuchi, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Shawnee, and Seneca tribes.

We acknowledge the brutal, horrendous, immoral acts perpetrated by white settlers, acts intended to steal the land, food sources, and cultures of Indigenous Peoples. These acts included intentionally breaking treaties, forcing Indigenous Peoples to leave their homelands and live segregated on reservations (often the least desirable land), and requiring that Indigenous children attend white schools, speak English, and disengage from native cultural and religious events.

We acknowledge that European concepts of land ownership, so different from the stewardship ideas of Indigenous Peoples, have greatly contributed to the current dangerous and destructive effects of global warming and resulting climate change.

Filed Under: What's New

TIPL

P.O. Box 26313
Knoxville, TN 37912
tninterfaithpl@gmail.com

 

Mission Statement

 

The mission of the Tennessee Interfaith Power & Light is to spiritually respond to the challenges of the climate crisis through upholding the sacredness of all life, protecting vulnerable communities, and caring for the Earth. We demonstrate our spiritual values by reducing our carbon footprint within our daily lives, releasing the spiritual power of our faith communities, and advocating for transformative climate protection and justice policies.

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Tennessee IPL

P.O. Box 26313
Knoxville, TN 37912
tninterfaithpl@gmail.com

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