That the City Manager is requested to convene an advisory group to determine ways in which the City can work to lift up the voices and experiences of the descendants of the Indigenous People who currently reside in our community

O-1 FIRST IN COUNCIL October 3, 2022 City of Cambridge COUNCILLOR SIMMONS COUNCILLOR AZEEM COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN COUNCILLOR TONER WHEREAS: It has long been taught as established history that the City of Newtowne, which would be renamed to the City of Cambridge in 1638, was colonized by the English in 1630, a process which in fact continues to this day; and WHEREAS: While this is historically accurate, for centuries the story of those who already lived in and occupied this land has been all but whitewashed out of existence, subject to erasure, and the story of how this land was stolen from them has been conveniently swept aside, transforming their very existence into a mere historical footnote as the forerunner of when the “real” story of this region began; and WHEREAS: Such historical whitewashing is disrespectful of those who originally called this land home, and a great distortion of the historical record of the lives, legacies, and achievements of the very real people who originally lived on this land; and WHEREAS: Indeed, it is critical that, as we consider this matter from the vantage point of 2022, we acknowledge that this touches upon not just the theft of land, but the erasure of actual people; and WHEREAS: In recent years, there has been growing momentum for municipalities like Cambridge to formally acknowledge the fact that our cities have been built upon stolen land, and while there is much to admire about the community that Cambridge has evolved into over the centuries, our story is incomplete without acknowledging those that our predecessors wrongfully displaced, and while we cannot undo the sins of the past, we can and must incorporate the stories of those who preceded the English colonialists into our larger historical narrative, and we must strive to do right by the descendants of those Indigenous Peoples; now therefore be it ORDERED: That the City Council formally go on record in acknowledging that the City of Cambridge occupies land that was once home of the Massachusetts Tribe, a vibrant and thriving community of people who were wrongfully displaced from their homeland, among other indigenous peoples who lived here; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Council go on record acknowledging that while the modern day City of Cambridge cannot go back and undo the sins committed by our predecessors almost four centuries ago, we can and must incorporate a more nuanced, more truthful telling of our historical narrative to ensure that the stories of the indigenous peoples who originally occupied this land are not lost to history; and be it further

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to review the current cultural sensitivity training for all City employees and ensure that it explicitly includes and highlights the experiences of Indigenous Peoples in all cultural sensitivity trainings going forward; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to convene an advisory group to determine ways in which the City can work to lift up the voices and experiences of the descendants of the Indigenous People who currently reside in our community, and in which the City can engage in purposeful relationships/relationship building with the Indigenous People of this area; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this matter in a timely manner. In City Council October 3, 2022. Adopted by a yea and nay vote:- Yeas 8; Nays 1; Absent 0. Attest:- Diane P. LeBlanc, City Clerk A true copy; ATTEST:- Diane P. LeBlanc, City Clerk