Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization

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Starting Tuesday, March 7 or Thursday, March 9 via Zoom, by registration

UUC’s Acting for Racial Justice Team, on behalf of UUC’s partnership with Sound Alliance and the important community organizing they are doing, welcomes your participation in an upcoming training, Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization, which is an initiative of the IAF Northwest and offered locally in conjunction with United Indians of All Tribes Foundation and Sound Alliance.

If you missed the first series in 2022, Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is starting up again in early March, 2023. It is an eight-session training as a part of an ongoing community organizing process. The sessions are designed for non-Indigenous labor, community, and faith organizations that are a part of Sound Alliance. You are invited to join in reflection and learning around the truth of colonization and its ongoing impact in the region where we live.

From the beginning of this training, I was asked to act: to learn the Indigenous history of this place called Seattle, to question my assumptions, and listen to the land. I heard stories of  struggles past and present, but also stories of agency, community, and love. Participants came to it with different levels of experience and understanding. We all struggled. But, together we were buoyed by humor and strengthened in sharing our feelings and thoughts in small groups. This was inspiring work that I continue to take part in.

Catherine Ruha, UUC Acting for Racial Justice Team member

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More information about Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization: 

Program Notes:

  • Please confirm that you are able to attend all of the first five sessions before registering, as each session builds on the learnings of the previous evening.
  • This is a training series that seeks to center the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples, the work that is ongoing in our communities and the emotional work that comes from this. Please be prepared to engage in this emotional labor and reflection.
  • Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization is more than the training sessions listed here, it is a community organizing program. The goal is to take the learning and reflection from these sessions and turn them into long-term community organizing efforts towards upholding native sovereignty and real solidarity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. 

Introductory Briefings:

Tuesday, March 7, 5:30–6:00 p.m. or Thursday, March 9, 2:00–2:30 p.m.

You must attend one of the above briefings before the main sessions begin.

First Five Sessions:

March 16, 21, 23, 28, 30 at 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Last Three Sessions:

The last three sessions will be spaced out over three months and designed to continue each individual’s personal wrestling, dig into local histories and experiences of Indigenous peoples, and identify action opportunities. The final dates for these sessions will be set during the first five sessions happening in March.

All sessions listed above will be held over Zoom

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Sound Alliance is an alliance of faith, labor, health education and community organizations dedicated to building a base of everyday civic leaders to effectively stand for change they want to see in their communities. UUC joined in 2007.

Sound Alliance is affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), the oldest and largest network of community organizing alliances in the world.  It is also part of the IAF Northwest, a region that includes affiliates in Oregon, Washington, Montana, New Zealand, and Australia.