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EnglishWhat land acknowledgment does First Presbyterian Church in Barre, VT make?
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First Presbyterian Church (USA) in Barre, VT states that it gathers "on lands originally inhabited by the Abenaki people." This acknowledgment appears on the church's website, fpcbarre.org, alongside its worship and community information. It is a statement of recognition rather than a policy, program, or scheduled event.
What the statement says
The church's acknowledgment is a single sentence:
"We gather on lands originally inhabited by the Abenaki people."
It identifies the Abenaki as the original inhabitants of the land where the congregation meets. The wording is a recognition of Indigenous presence and history, not a land-transfer claim, a legal position, or a commitment to a specific action.
Where it appears
The statement is part of the main page content on fpcbarre.org, presented with the church's other public information — the Wednesday free breakfast, the Sunday Zoom service details, and links to the bulletin and worship videos. It is not a separate page or a standalone document; it sits within the site's general welcome material.
What a land acknowledgment is in a church context
A land acknowledgment is a formal statement recognizing the Indigenous peoples who originally inhabited and continue to have ties to a particular place. In many congregations, including Presbyterian ones, it is read or displayed as a way of:
- Naming the history of the land before the church's presence there
- Honoring the Abenaki people specifically, rather than referring to Indigenous peoples generically
- Framing worship as taking place within that history
Churches often adopt such statements as a matter of conscience and reflection. They are typically not binding rules, budgets, or membership requirements.
What it is not
To avoid misreading the statement, note these limits:
| It is | It is not |
|---|---|
| A recognition of the Abenaki as original inhabitants | A policy, bylaw, or governance document |
| Part of the church's public website text | A scheduled event or service |
| A statement of historical and cultural acknowledgment | A land claim, transfer, or legal assertion |
If you want to see it yourself
Go to fpcbarre.org and read the main page content. The acknowledgment appears in the same block of text as the church's service and breakfast information. Because it is a short statement, there is no separate page to navigate to and no form to submit — it is simply part of how the congregation describes where it gathers.