Land Acknowledgement - Solid Ground

Solid Ground operates on land that has always belonged to the Coast Salish and Duwamish (Dkhw Duw’Absh) peoples. As a modern nonprofit, we are part of a colonialist system that stole their land, attempted genocide, and continues to oppress Indigenous peoples.

We know we cannot achieve our mission to end poverty without changing our relationship to the Indigenous peoples of this land. We pledge to build deeper relationships with the Duwamish, Coast Salish, and other Indigenous stewards of this land and to work to repair colonial impacts. We encourage our partners, donors, and other stakeholders to join us in this work.

Two things you can do to join Solid Ground:

Sign the petition for Federal Recognition for the Duwamish Tribe: The Duwamish are the “People of the Inside.” They are rooted to this place and these waters. They demand accountability for their People today and for all generations to come.
Contribute to Real Rent Duwamish to stand in solidarity with First Peoples of this land. All funds go directly to Duwamish Tribal Services (DTS) to support the revival of Duwamish culture and the vitality of the Duwamish Tribe.

Read more in our Groundviews Blog posts on standing with the Duwamish.

Resources for Deeper Engagement

Local and national Indigenous-led organizations

American Indian Health Commission of Washington state
Chief Seattle Club
Community Support and Justice: Indigenous/First Nations People (Seattle Central College)
Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center
Duwamish Tribe
Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs
HistoryLink.org (Washington state history)
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
Na’ah Illahee Fund
National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Interactive maps

NATIVE LAND MAP

Small map showing the lands of the Coast Salish Indigenous peoples that now makes up part of Washington state

Map of Coast Salish territories by Mapbox

Native-Land.ca was started in early 2015 in British Columbia to help people get interested and engaged in acknowledging and honoring Indigenous Nations of colonial states. It encourages both Native and non-Native people to remember that there was once a vast land of autonomous Native peoples, who called the land by many different names according to their languages and geography.

PACIFIC SEA GARDENS STORY MAP

Picture of a Pacific coastline with green coniferous trees and beach on the left and placid water on the right, with white text reading Sea Gardens Across the Pacific: Reawakening Ancestral Mariculture Innovations By the Pacific Sea Garden Collective

Pacific Sea Garden Collective. (2022). Sea Gardens Across the Pacific: Reawakening Ancestral Mariculture Innovations. Version 1. Washington Sea Grant at the University of Washington.

This work is dedicated to the Ancestors who stewarded the ocean, learned from her rhythms, and passed on their knowledge to today’s stewards who are continuing these practices and reasserting their authority to steward their lands and waters.

Story Map and Innovations Gallery
New story map unites sea gardens around the Pacific and shows the importance of revitalizing Indigenous mariculture practices for food sovereignty and resilience (WSG News Blog, 2/17/22)

Learning About the Lands Where We Work

Solid Ground is on a journey to better understand our role as a nonprofit in colonialist systems that continue to oppress Indigenous peoples today. We also seek to build authentic partnerships with Indigenous communities to reduce the harm that we cause as an organization, help undo the erasure of Indigenous histories, and celebrate the resilience of the first peoples of Seattle and King County. To work toward these aspirations, Solid Ground’s Community Accountability Council recommended that we amplify Indigenous histories of the lands we occupy as an organization, from our Giving Garden at Marra Farm and Solid Ground Transportation offices in South Park to our Wallingford offices and housing facilities in Magnuson Park at Sand Point. We’ll post them here as we share these stories of the lands where we work and play.