The people of Reno Friends Meeting (Quakers) value the opportunity to live and worship on the places where the Great Basin Tribes have lived since time immemorial to today and into the future. We honor these peoples, the Numu (Northern Paiute), Wašiw (Washoe), Newe (Western Shoshone) and Nuwu (Southern Paiute), and their connection to the resources and the spiritual energy of this place: the rivers and lakes, the mountains, and the valleys of our Nevada landscapes, which are shared just like the air above. We seek ways to build reciprocal relationships with The People.
The Great Basin Tribes currently have over 25 reservations and colonies in Nevada; those closest to Reno include the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, the Hungry Valley Community, the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation, the Carson Indian Colony, the Stewart Indian Community, the Fallon Indian Colony and Reservation, and the Yerington Indian Colony and Reservation. As stated on the Nevada Indian Territory website, “These tribes are all unique, with traditions that span many generations. But like the intricate strands that form a beautiful basket, these tribes are one, and their culture is strong and tightly woven together.”
The Indigenous peoples are original stewards of this land. We pursue similar values in our testimonies of simplicity, integrity, and stewardship of Mother Earth.
We commit to educating ourselves about current and historical Indigenous perspectives and, sadly, about the participation of Quakers nationwide in the dispossession of Indigenous lands and forced assimilation, most notably through the operation of Indian Boarding Schools. This acknowledgement also holds our Reno Friends Meeting community accountable for supporting, elevating, and amplifying the voices of those who are pushed aside and marginalized. Developing a Land Acknowledgement Statement of Reno Friends Meeting is an evolutionary process. We are always open to suggestions of ways to strengthen these commitments.