LINEAGE OF LAND
LINEAGE OF LAND
Where in the world is Fortuna Major rooted?
The Connecticut River Valley
Fortuna Major Creative Co. is based in the Connecticut River Valley in the towns of Easthampton and Northampton. The land on which each town has been built is the unceded homelands of the Pocumtuc, Nipmuc, and Nonotuck people. Surrounding them are the homelands of the Wampanoag to the East, the Mohegan and Pequot to the South, the Mohican to the West, and the Abenaki to the North.
Indigenous culture and connection to this land is not something merely rooted in the past. It is a rich and vibrant part of our present and future. Members of each of these Indigenous nations are alive and shaping our community today.
How Can I Learn
Whose Land I Am On?
There are many resources to learn about whose homelands you are currently living on. One such resource is Native Land Digital. Native Land Digital strives to create and foster conversations about the history of colonialism, Indigenous ways of knowing, and settler-Indigenous relations through educational resources. Native Land Digital is Indigenous-led, with an Indigenous Executive Director and a majority Indigenous Board of Directors who oversee and direct the organization. You can search your location on their map to learn about the (often) many Indigenous nations whose homelands you inhabit.
Another resource is The Decolonial Atlas. The Decolonial Atlas is a volunteer-run project, cultivating a growing collection of maps that, in some way, help to challenge our relationships with the land, people, and State.
What Resources Can Support Me In Learning About Indigenous Culture, History, and Resistance?
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An Indigenous People’s History of the United States
by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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Reclamation Manifesto
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As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom Through Radical Resistance
by Leanne Betasmosake Simpson
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Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
by Robin Wall Kimmerer
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Land Back A Yellowhead Institute Red Paper
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Red Skin, White Masks: Rejecting the Colonial Politics of Recognition
by Glen Sean Coulthard
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Colonization and Decolonization – A Manual for Indigenous Liberation in the 21st Century
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Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future
by Patty Krawec, foreword by Nick Estes
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The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book
by Gord Hill, foreword by Pamela Palmater
How Can I Take Action
To Support Indigenous People Now?
If you are based in Massachusetts, you can get involved in supporting the MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda—an Indigenous-led coalition pushing for five critical bills that will protect Native heritage, improve education, and end outdated racist practices.
There are currently 5 bills passing through the Massachusetts legislature dealing with the rights and dignity of Indigenous nations. These bills address 5 priorities:
Honor Indigenous Peoples Day
Remove Racist Mascots
Celebrate and Teach Native American Culture & History
Protect Native American Heritage
Educate Native Youth