The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission and Hudson River Estuary Program welcome you to join us for a Witness to Injustice Blanket Exercise Program with the Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON).

We have been on a journey to deepen our understanding of the history of Indigenous peoples and are grateful that NOON and Haudenosaunee facilitators have agreed to offer this powerful program in the Capital Region.

Who: We are offering this program especially for local and county officials and volunteers (e.g., members of planning boards and environmental commissions), staff of conservation organizations like land trusts and professional planners who are involved in conservation and planning in communities in the Albany Pine Bush study area and Capital Region.

When: Saturday, June 28, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Where: Albany County 

About the Witness to Injustice Blanket Exercise:

“Since much of our (Native) history is minimally taught and not accurately, the Witness to Injustice Exercise is a good way to help people learn about these events and share their feelings about what occurred.” 

- Freida Jacques, Turtle Clanmother, Onondaga Nation

The Witness to Injustice Exercise is a unique three-hour interactive group learning experience. It uses participatory education to share the disturbing history of what Indigenous peoples have experienced through colonization. The program seeks to foster truth, understanding, and respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in the part of the world now known as the United States; especially in the territory stewarded by people of the Onondaga Nation and other Haudenosaunee peoples.

Through the use of meaningful quotes and blankets that represent part of Turtle Island (the Western Hemisphere), NOON facilitators and participants explore this shared history that non-native people rarely learn in school or other settings. The Exercise helps participants deepen their understanding about the European colonization of Turtle Island, learning through the eyes of our Indigenous neighbors. It details the denial of Indigenous peoples’ nationhood throughout U.S. history up to the present time. After the Witness to Injustice Exercise, participants have the opportunity to share with the group what they learned and felt, and resources are shared by facilitators to help participants continue to learn more.

NOON is a grassroots organization of Central New Yorkers which recognizes and supports the sovereignty of the traditional government of the Onondaga Nation.

Register here: https://forms.office.com/g/TB3XGixBuT

Important note about registration: Due to the nature of the blanket exercise, there is a limit on the number of people who can participate. If we receive more sign-ups than we can accommodate, we will be prioritizing municipal officials and volunteers who have limited access to these kinds of opportunities, followed by conservation and planning professionals. We will confirm that you have a spot in the program within about 10 days of registering. If you have questions, contact Pammi Price, Preserve Naturalist and Educator at pprice@albanypinebush.org . Thank you.