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LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND HISTORY, BOSTON 2024

The 2024 ASOR Annual Meeting takes place on land that has been the home of the Massachusett and other Native peoples of North America for 13,000 years. Today, Boston is home to thousands of Indigenous people from across Turtle Island. We pay respect to the people of the Massachusett Tribe, and honor the land which remains sacred to the Massachusett People.

Boston is well known for its role in the European colonization of New England and the American Revolution. But these historical events transpired in the context of slavery. Prior to 1700, most enslaved people in Boston were Native. By the 1690s, most New England colonies had banned Native slavery and replaced captive Native workers with enslaved Africans. Laws and policies in Boston helped create and maintain the institution of slavery. Most Bostonians directly benefited from and were complicit in slavery, and many residents of Boston still experience the aftereffects and legacy of slavery today.*

Boston has been and continues to be an immigrant gateway as home to dozens of immigrant groups for the past two hundred years.

During your time in Boston, please take a moment to learn about the history of Native and enslaved peoples in this region, and the ongoing resiliency and vibrancy of Native, Black, and immigrant communities today.

The Museum of African American History is home to the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School. Credit: NPS Photo
The Museum of African American History is home to the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School. Credit: NPS Photo

Activities:

"Step on Board," Harriet Tubman Memorial. Credit: NPS Photo/McNabb
"Step on Board," Harriet Tubman Memorial. Credit: NPS Photo/McNabb

If you’d like to learn more about the Indigenous, enslaved, and immigrant peoples of the Boston area, here are some places to start.

*Acknowledgment text adapted from the Harvard University Acknowledgment of Land and People and the Boston Slavery Exhibit.