#  RPL Webinar Calls for Us to Reimagine Our Relationship to Land and Create Spaces for Dialogue 

 





October 29, 2024

 

 

 Zainulabideen Jafri, MTS '26 

     ![Aerial Shot Dry Grassy Field Near Different Color Trees. Image by Wirestock on freepik.](/sites/g/files/omnuum8216/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/aerial-shot-dry-grassy-field-near-different-color-trees-image_by_wirestock_on_freepik.jpg?itok=REvQrzat) 

 



 

The Religion and Public Life program at Harvard Divinity School hosted a webinar on rematriation, land, and healing this past Tuesday evening.

The webinar was the last in a four-part series titled, “Religion and Democratic Ideals.” The series focused on the exploration of democratic ideals and the pursuit of just peace by engaging in thoughtful discussions along four different avenues. The discussion was moderated by Assistant Dean for Religion and Public Life, Hussein Rashid. He was joined by Cynthia Wilson, co-founder of Bears Ears, and Doreen Bird, board member of Bears Ears.

Bird led the conversation by introducing rematriation in the light of resistance against the oppressive forces that have marginalized Indigenous women. She explained, “For me, rematriation is about reclaiming the spaces that have been taken over by patriarchy, capitalism, colonialism, and things that have oppressed Indigenous women around the world.” Wilson emphasized that rematriation is also deeply personal, bringing ancestral ties and cultural lineage into the present. As she put it, “Rematriation is coming back to our home teachings.”

The conversation led into a discussion about reclaiming and returning land which is tied to the perception of land in relationship with us. Bird touched upon the idea of ‘giving the land back to itself,’ an idea in stark contrast to the exploitative relationship society has developed with land. Bird’s words encourage thinking about the land in a more dynamic way than as a mere resource. She continued, “When you talk about returning land back to the land, you’re talking about the wholeness of it, the thriving, and the life-giving forces instead of the extraction, the taking-from, and depleting.”

Towards the end of the webinar, Wilson encouraged the audience to challenge patriarchal and hierarchical structures to foster a space for shared dialogue. In discussions surrounding rematriation and land, it is essential to prioritize resistance against oppressive systems and to create spaces that encourage open conversations. She concluded by calling us to “create space for a collective dialogue.”

[Watch the event recording and read the transcription.](/news/2024/11/14/video-religion-and-democratic-ideals-rematriation-land-and-healing)



 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Religion, Conflict, and Peace ](/news/religion-conflict-and-peace)
- [ RPL Past Events ](/news/rpl-past-events)