Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge the land on which we gather as we seek to be a community of faith, welcome, and service.
We acknowledge that St. John’s Kirkland stands on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Coast Salish peoples, especially the Duwamish people, the original inhabitants of the Lake Washington shoreline, including what is now Kirkland.
We honor the Duwamish as well as the many Coast Salish tribes connected to this region, including the Muckleshoot, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, Tulalip, and Puyallup peoples, who have cared for these lands and waters since time immemorial.
We recognize that this land was taken through colonization and treaty, and that Indigenous communities were displaced from their homes along Lake Washington. We affirm that these communities are not part of the past; they are living, present, and continuing their cultural, spiritual, and environmental stewardship today.
We give thanks for their enduring presence. We recognize that acknowledgment alone is not enough, and we are committed to continued learning and meaningful support.
Why This Matters
A land acknowledgment is only a beginning. By itself, it does not repair harm or restore land.
We hope it will shape how we understand where we are, whose stories we carry, and how we choose to act.
Our hope is that this acknowledgment leads to deeper awareness, continued learning, and tangible support for Indigenous communities locally and beyond.