By Savannah Steblein, Education Coordinator
It is definitely fall here in Fredericksburg— the chilly, blustery winds, shorter days, and fallen leaves are making sure we know that. And while it sure can be cold outside, the sun still reminds us of warmer times when she shines down on us. On one of those beautiful, sunny days come explore our garden and wander the paths or get lost among the trees. The trees have nearly lost all their leaves, so now is the time to search for birds’ nests, admire the ghostly branches of Seymour the Sycamore, and crunch on all those fallen leaves. Children and adults alike can play “The Ground is Lava” and try to hop from leaf to leaf without touching the ground— I know I still do ;)
We spent Thanksgiving indulging in delicious food and hearty conversation, but also reflecting upon the fact that we do live on stolen land. A little note about this: thanks to https://native-land.ca/ we were able to learn that Downtown Greens is on both the Manahoac and the Patawomeck peoples’ land. Taking the time to learn (and unlearn colonized or biased information) about the Indigenous people who lived here long before us is one way to acknowledge the losses (diseases, enslavement, loss of culture, geographic displacement, and unmentionably horrific crimes at the hands of settlers) the First Nations went through for colonizers to succeed. If you are looking to do something more, there are many First Nation-run mutual aid funds out there.