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Dear Friends,
As I step into this new role, I’m truly honored and grateful for the trust the Board of Directors has placed in me.
Before this transition, I attended a National Community Action Leadership training in Virginia. It was a powerful reminder of our roots in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, stretching back to the Civil Rights Movement. Each morning of the training, we started with a Land Acknowledgment—a way to recognize and show respect for the Indigenous communities who originally lived on and cared for the lands we’re on today. For those who may be unfamiliar, a Land Acknowledgment is a simple yet powerful act that reminds us we live, work, and play on lands that were taken from Native American tribes. This practice holds a lot of meaning, and I believe it’s something we should embrace more often and more intentionally.
November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor the incredible contributions and resilience of Native American communities across the country. It’s also a time to reflect on the difficult history these communities faced. At Community Teamwork, we recognize that the Pennacook tribes, especially the Pawtucket and Wamesit bands, were the original caretakers of this land in the Greater Lowell Region.
Before Lowell was founded in the 1820s as an industrial hub in what was called “The Lowell Experiment,” this region was an important gathering and fishing site for the Pennacook. The Pawtucket community lived above the Pawtucket Falls, and the Wamesit were along the Concord River. This land was central to their lives and culture, serving as a place of community, governance, and sustenance—until it was transformed by business ventures, which led to their displacement.
At Community Teamwork, we’re committed to building a world of equity, compassion, and justice. Native American Heritage Month is an opportunity for us to honor these often unrecognized histories and to commit ourselves to advocacy that respects and remembers Indigenous legacies. Let’s carry this awareness with us in the work we do every day. Together, we can create spaces that not only serve but also respect the layered histories of the lands we call home.
Thank you for being part of this journey as we continue to stand for justice and equity in our community.
Gratefully,
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