June 16, 2025
Dear faithful in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
As your bishops, we have committed ourselves to the spiritual work of racial reconciliation. This includes, but is not limited to, the irreparable harm done to native people, lands, and culture begun by European colonists in the 17th century.
The Episcopal Church formally repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery in 2009 rejecting the flawed theology that put God on the side of death and destruction, but the generational trauma of cultural genocide has not been publicly addressed by the church in the Commonwealth. We address it here in the hope of the Easter event and in faith, with humility. We invite you to be part of the work of repair.
For generations we have lived, worshipped, and engaged God’s mission on the unceded land of native peoples. From the coastal lands of the Wampanoag, Massachusett, and Patuxet, to the central lands of the Nipmuc and Agawam and to the western lands of the Pocumtuc, Nonotuck, Mohican, and the Dawnland Confederacy, the artificial borders of states and dioceses have largely ignored the rights of the first people of this place. We wish for this injustice to end in our time.
Who were the indigenous peoples who lived on the land where you live and worship now? Where you grew up? Use this handy tool to learn more about the native peoples anywhere in the Americas, and other places. Choose “Label” and zoom in to an area in your neighborhood.