To: Mt Toby Friends Meeting
From: Race & Class Working Group

1. Name and description of proposal

‘Mt Toby Leading with Light: Being faithful to our call to restorative justice”

The Race and Class Working Group (RCWG) proposes using the remainder of the bequest received in 2024 to support two organizations whose work restores land and kinship to key groups who have been deeply harmed by colonialism, white supremacy, and systemic racism: namely, people who are Indigenous to this continent and people of African descent.

This bequest offers our Meeting a wonderful opportunity to take a concrete step towards making repair for the long history of systemic harm inflicted on African Americans and Indigenous Peoples in our community and the country at large. Injustices committed over centuries and continuing into the present have stolen land, labor, culture, freedom, health, family, education, and more.

By supporting renewed connection, relationship, and agency in regard to land, we take a vital step that embodies our commitment to Quaker values and lays the groundwork for cultural restoration as well as renewal of the Land as a living entity.

We would like to see equal payments made to the following two nonprofit organizations:

The Native Land Conservancy (NLC) is a Massachusetts-based, Indigenous-led organization dedicated to land stewardship and return of Indigenous land. The Native Land Conservancy was founded in 2012 with a mission to “slow, stop and heal” the destruction of Native land. In just over a dozen years, the NLC has received into their care 13 land titles to “more than 150 total acres across 8 towns in Massachusetts and also on an island in Lake Superior in Wisconsin.” In fact, in 2024, a Leverett parcel was gifted to the NLC. Being the legal “owners” of these parcels allows Indigenous communities “greater opportunities to care for these lands” and is experienced as a familial relationship with the living earth. Additionally, the NLC holds conservation easements on three pieces of land, totalling over 800 acres. “Conservation easements, sometimes called conservation restrictions, allow people to permanently protect land” from development and, in some cases, to guarantee its use for Indigenous cultural practices.

Moving bequest funds to the NLC would be a significant step in fostering genuine relationship with Mt. Toby Meeting’s Indigenous neighbors. It could provide a pathway for our spiritual community to begin a healing journey in recognition of our presence in Leverett on land that was taken by colonists from Indigenous communities in the 1670s, and our commitment to participate in the relationship-building that is currently underway.

Our personal connection to NLC centers in the many Friends at our Meeting who have a connection with Friend Greenwater (Gail Melix), an active Quaker and enrolled member of the Herring Pond Wampanoag tribe. Gail serves on the Board of the NLC, and has been inspirational as a bridge between Quaker and Indigenous values. Gail co-led a program in 2020 for Interfaith Opportunities Network (ION—the interfaith association we are part of) called Looking Deeply at Thanksgiving: The Journey to a new Thanksgiving built on justice & right relationship. She also visited our Meeting this November and spoke about Native spirituality at the Interfaith Service in Leverett that Mt. Toby Meeting co-sponsored with ION.

Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust (NEFOC Land Trust).

Their vision statement states:

“We act for a future of food and land sovereignty in the Northeast region, through permanent and secure land tenure for Indigenous, Black, Latinx, and Asian farmers who will relate with the land in a sacred manner that honors our ancestors’ dreams—for regenerative farming, sustainable human habitat, ceremony, native ecosystem restoration, climate healing, and cultural preservation.”

NEFOC Land Trust’s 2024 report describes “a transformative year—a journey of bioremediation, healing, and growth that continues to fuel our collective work for land justice, reparations, and community sovereignty.” NEFOC Land Trust runs five impressive programs; Black Land Stewardship, Relationship and Reciprocity, Reparations, Land Network Services and Policy, Climate Justice and Advocacy.

Our personal connection to NEFOC Land Trust is through Adele Smith-Penniman, who was a member of Mt.Toby Meeting for many years and continues to be a friend and mentor to Friends in our Meeting. Adele’s daughter Leah Penniman played a central role in creating this land trust, which in turn builds on the vision and work of the vibrant, liberatory Soul Fire Farm, located in Granby, NY, that Leah co-founded and co-directs with her husband.

 

Quakers in our region, our Meeting’s ancestors, were able to build wealth, security and spiritual safety through farming and agriculturally-adjacent pursuits. During this same time period, the ancestors of the Black, Indigenous and other people of color in this region were denied the opportunity to build generational security through land ownership. In truth, the barriers to land ownership, farm-building and generational wealth that BIPOC people face are still immense. The RCWG proposes that we begin to repair this historical and current injustice with a gift to NEFOC Land Trust to continue its important work.

Native Land Conservancy and NEFOC Land Trust each received one quarter of the donations collected for the 400 Years: Truth and Healing for the Next Seven Generations program that our Meeting played a major role in organizing in 2020.

2. Who would be involved with making this happen?

The Race and Class Working Group would facilitate this transaction.

3. How does this relate to or further the spiritual life/work of the Meeting or of member(s) of Meeting?

In the minute by Mt Toby Meeting establishing the Race and Class Working Group (Oct. 2020 Minutes #4) “The Meeting affirms its corporate commitment to undoing racism and classism and building an inclusive and equitable culture, as an expression of our Quaker faith.” This use of the bequest would represent a significant step towards fulfilling this corporate commitment by our Meeting.

In addition, this would be a way to respond to New England Yearly Meeting’s recent Apology to Native Americans, which our Meeting carefully considered and endorsed. The Apology states:

“We commit to following your [Indigenous peoples’] lead, standing alongside you in your struggles for sovereignty, in protection of the land and waters, and in seeking justice and reparations for your people. We will continue to pray for guidance and to seek divine assistance in the transformation we know is needed within each of us, and in the world.”

While financial reparations are only one part of a comprehensive engagement with restorative justice, they are a key component. Using a significant portion of this bequest in this way begins to dismantle a pattern in which generational wealth and prosperity all too often stay in the hands of the most privileged and powerful. Instead, we propose directing these funds toward these two organizations, both of which have ties to New England Quakers and are dedicated to supporting Black and Indigenous land sovereignty, dignity and stewardship.

4. Cost of proposal. Is this an estimate or actual figures?

The bequest money is itself liberated from constraints—it is there to enhance the spiritual life of our community. In the spirit of joy, truth-telling, and bold, collective healing, we propose that the remaining funds from this bequest be divided evenly between these two organizations, approximately $8,500 each.

We understand that there are many ways bequest monies can be used. We invite the Meeting to consider such possibilities with a lens stretching both back in our nation’s history and forward to our legacy.

5. Approximate start and finish dates.

The Race and Class Working Group would facilitate the distribution of these funds, in conjunction with our Meeting Treasurer, as soon as they are made available.

  • This proposal was submitted on November 3, 2024 to Sue Tippett, clerk of Mt Toby Finance Committee.
  • A revised proposal was submitted to Finance Committee and Mt Toby clerk on January 31, 2025.
  • Proposal was approved at Meeting for Business on February 9, 2025.