Land Acknowledgement for the
Eno & Occaneechi Peoples

"The story of our relationship to the earth is written more truthfully on the land than on

the page. It lasts there. The land remembers what we said and what we did."

Robin W. Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass

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At The Glen we gather on the traditional lands of the Eno and Occaneechi peoples, Indigenous stewards of this land for countless generations. Long before Durham was established, these Siouan-speaking communities lived, farmed, traded, and cared for the rivers, forests, and hills of this region. The famous Fish Dam foot trail ran west to east from Hillsborough across what is now the Hillsborough Rd (Hwy 70)—Carver Street—Hamlin Rd corridor very close to The Glen on its way to Falls Lake. When Indigenous tribes were pushed out of this region and their land stolen, the ancient trail became a main artery for white traders.

 

By 1713 the Eno and Occaneechi confederated with other Siouan tribes (including Tutelo, Adshusheer and Shakori) against the threat of European colonization to form the Saponi Nation. Scattered members of the Nation still reside nearby, doing what they can to maintain organic cultural traditions. We at the Glen desire to support our Indigenous communities, respect their sovereignty, and learn from their knowledge of living in harmony with the land. We seek to address betrayals of the common humanity we share, the enduring wounds left by our ancestors and our ongoing complicity in an unjust status quo.

 

We also seek to acknowledge the probable ties of this tract of land to the exploitation of enslaved peoples. Slavers are interred in family cemeteries nearby. “Our neighbor” three miles to the northwest, Stagville Plantation, was among the largest antebellum chattel complexes in the state of North Carolina. We recognize the humanity of our brothers and sisters enslaved in this part of Durham County and the horrific oppression, violence and harm they suffered. We also acknowledge the ongoing impact of systemic racism and strive to move towards becoming a more just community marked by anti- racism and equity for all. 

 

Please join us in supporting:

 

Stagville Memorial Project
Historic Stagville
The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation
Triangle Native American Society