BOSTON LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND HISTORY - American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR)

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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.*

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

Activities:

Visit a historic location or memorial:
- Stretch your legs with a 1.6 mile free walking tour of Boston’s Black Heritage Trail in Beacon Hill, ending with the Museum of African American History ($10 adult/$8 student).
- Boston’s Faneuil Hall offers a variety of exhibits, programs, and resources as a historic space for abolitionists, women’s suffragists, labor unionists, LGBTQIA+ activists, and other protests, meetings, and debates about the meaning and legacy of American liberty.
- Visit Harriet Tubman Park and memorial (0.6 miles from Boston Park Plaza) or the Boston Middle Passage Marker (1.4 miles from Boston Park Plaza).
Have a movie night in your hotel room with a documentary produced by the Boston-based Upstander Project, which creates films and other educational materials “to amplify silenced narratives, develop upstander skills to challenge systemic injustice, and nurture compassionate, courageous relationships that honor the interconnection of all beings and the Earth.”
Dine at a Black-owned or Haitian restaurant, or the Nubian Markets.
As your circumstances allow, consider a financial donation to support Boston-based organizations that are run by and for indigenous peoples and marginalized communities, such as the North American Indian Center of Boston, the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness, the Toussaint Louverture Cultural Center, or the Enslaved Legacy History Coalition.