“We acknowledge that we are on Duwamish land.”
Why does Mercer Island High School make this announcement during Islander Hour every Wednesday without challenging students to act upon these words?
While it is important to make this acknowledgement, words without action are meaningless. Many schools in King County don’t do these announcements, or haven’t even heard of them before. The ones that make this acknowledgment do nothing else.
While there are many tribes around Washington, such as the Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Puyallup and 16 others, the main tribe in the Seattle area is the Duwamish tribe. With all these tribes we can be learning and doing more. If we focus on one, then what about the others?
Considering Mercer Island’s reputation and past, the island needs to get more involved with the Native community. MISD could integrate Native culture into the MISD curriculum so students can get more education about the culture. What teachers are teaching us in school is things from years and years ago–nothing about what tribes are doing now.
Volunteering is another great way to get more educated about the Indigenous culture. There are always places to volunteer, like the rivers when the salmon come back, at PowWows and other events, which are just some things you can do. If you go to the Duwamish website, there are always things you can do. Senior service clubs can also prioritize Indigenous projects and get more involved in the Native community around the Seattle area.
Making donations to Indigenous organizations can help make an impact and to learn more about the lifestyle, relationships and the religion. The Duwamish Longhouse is a great place to donate. Donations are a great way to just make contributions not just for the people but for the things around them.
These are only a few of the ways families, students, clubs and the schools can make a contribution–but still most don’t. Help make an impact. Even the smallest action can make a big difference. To learn more of what you can do, https://seattleurbannatives.org/ is a good place to look; it has information on volunteering, and what events are happening.
Words are meaningless without action. Do you think we should do something more?
