Sustaining Way’s Land Usage Statement:
Sustaining Way acknowledges that the land we steward at Annie’s House, along with the areas we serve in Nicholtown, New Washington Heights, and Spartanburg, rests on the ancestral homelands of the Cherokee and Catawba people. These people used this land for hunting, gathering, and seasonal campsites, particularly around the Reedy River. We recognize that we benefit from the legacy of land loss, displacement, and the immeasurable costs endured by the Cherokee, Catawba and other indigenous peoples due to colonization.
With humility and gratitude, we commit to honoring this history by incorporating Indigenous knowledge in our land stewardship, food cultivation, and community care practices. Through these efforts, we aim to contribute to a future rooted in respect, reciprocity, and sustainability for all.
What is a land usage statement?
A land usage statement is a document that clarifies that an organization or individual recognizes that a piece of land has not always been used by or for its current purpose and was previously used by another group of, usually marginalized, people from whom the land was taken or given.
Land Usage Statements began to be used in 1970s Australia during the push for Aboriginal peoples’ rights and then spread to Canada and the United States. While these statements are by no means enough to excuse the atrocities committed to native groups, they can be seen as a start to understanding our history and recognizing past wrongs.
What we know:
The Cherokee people are believed to be the original inhabitants of much of Upstate South Carolina, including Greenville. Historians believe that the Cherokee used much of the land in the Upstate, specifically surrounding the Reedy River, for summer camping and hunting grounds for nearby settlements. Other indigenous groups include the Catawba and a few southern Iroquois tribes.
Why it matters:
It is essential to understand that the land we use at Annie’s House in Nicholtown, New Washington Heights, and Spartanburg belonged to the Indigenous people before settlers took it in the 18th century.
As we at Sustaining Way fight against gentrification and the displacement of residents, it is crucial to understand that the land we have access to was originally the home of another group of marginalized people. By understanding and acknowledging this clearly and respectfully, we continue to uphold some of our core values of respecting the land and its people.
Check out our Three Sisters Planting: A Natural Dream Team article that outlines one way Sustaining Way incorporates Indigenous Practices into our demonstration site, Annie’s House.
More information:
- https://alaskawild.org/blog/the-importance-of-land-acknowledgments/
- https://www.npr.org/2023/03/15/1160204144/indigenous-land-acknowledgments
- https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/informational/land-acknowledgment
- https://guides.statelibrary.sc.gov/c.php?g=11794&p=4842428#:~:text=Native%20Americans.%20The%20Catawba%20are%20Native%20American,people%20who%20lived%20in%20the%20southeastern%20USA.
- https://cherokeeofsc.com/
- Find out your area’s native background https://native-land.ca/