1. We ground ourselves in the fact that anti-capitalism demands anti-racism. We seek to eliminate and remedy racist oppression created and maintained by white settlers that undermines working class and community solidarity. In this space, we prioritize and believe the voices of people of color and indigenous people, while also acknowledging our own complicities in white supremacy and U.S. imperialism.
2. We keep progressive stack. An assigned individual will keep list of names from people who wish to speak, and prioritize folks who are people of color, women, or who have not spoken at the meeting.
3. (WAIT) Why am I talking? When in discussion, consider what you want to say, and if it has already been said. Is there a better time or place to speak? Are there other methods for you to show how you feel about the conversation, such as nodding your head?
4. Make space, Take Space. When finished making your point, let others speak. Respect others by recognizing how much, often, and loud you’re speaking and if you might be dominating conversation. We also encourage quieter individuals to contribute to the conversation.
5. Speak from personal experience. Use “I statement.” Speak from your perspective and experience, rather than assuming those of other peoples.
6. One diva, one mic. One person should be speaking at any given time. Please refrain from commenting until after they have finished.
7. Listen (don’t wait to talk). Genuinely pay attention to what others say. Active listening is important in any discussion.
8. Assume full humanity. Recognize we were all raised in the same society with the same biases and prejudices, and approach each other with this in mind.
9. Oops, ouch. Acknowledge when you’ve made a mistake. Nobody is perfect and mistakes will be made.
10. Jargon alert! If you do not understand a term or phrase, raise your hand or ask in the Zoom chat and someone will explain the definition to you.

Land Acknowledgement

We would like to acknowledge that we are holding this meeting in the state of Minnesota, the traditional ancestral lands of the Santee Dakhóta and the Anishinaabe ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ.

We pay our respect to the elders both past and present, who have stewarded this land throughout the generations. We recognize and honor them as the past, present, and future caretakers of this land.

This land came under the control of the current settler state, known as the U.S.A., through genocidal military campaigns and an ongoing occupation. Land Cession 289, the 1851 Treaty of Traverse des Sioux, codified the violent dispossession, and stands out as an especially egregious example of how a supreme injustice forms the basis of the state of Minnesota and the Twin Cities as we know them today.

The systematic removal of Indigenous nations and societies has led to the current situation, in which the Dakhóta people reside on about .01 % (about one-hundredth of one percent) of their original land base within the borders of what we know as the State of Minnesota.

Decolonization is not a metaphor. Decolonization means land repatriation. To support such reparative justice, we encourage all to donate to Makoce Ikikcupi, an organization striving to establish a land base for the Dakhóta people, so they may build new communities within their homeland, all based on sustainability and adherence to their ancient traditions. Through settler donations to this project, they have recently bought a piece of land near Granite Falls on which to re-establish physical and spiritual relationship with this homeland. With further support, land reclamation and reconnection can expand.