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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01 03 2024 City of Edina Commission CorrespondenceA, '0 r_ +3 co LO 4-3 C\j Ln --t C)71 Ln CD a C: Ln 5- (a E -4 =1 r-4 c X (a z Flit fli (a C:3 0 c >1 LD Ld -H 4--1 --t '0 •H L.Li U 12 -24-23 Cataloging Policy 8 Standards Division Library of Congress t shington, DC 20540-4305 Dear Colleagues, More warrant for creating the LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS subject heading recommended 8-20-22,. HAPPY NEW YEAR Sanford 4400 Morningsi Edina, MN 5541 952 925-5738 l2-24-23 "Readers Write" Star Tribune 650 - 3rd'AvonuaS" Minneapolis, MN 55488 Door Neighbors, o Here's something to do to that would make local landts» real ( stolen lend, next stopo," Section^ 12-24 Immedi ly replace the street and pork n er'Columbu��and John C. Fremont within HonnoptV TPOse two indisputable Indian -killers and land thievesld ��mphatioolly not be celebrated or honored. They were <kn ThmAr vpry names contradict and violate the spirit and intention of the land acknowledgments. With warmest regards, Barman ° n000 � El gor Honneounty Library l977-I�N�� bm OVo Award Raoipi 4400 Morningside Ro Edina, MN 55416 952 025-5738 � , 2019 lI-2l~2] Policy & Standards Division Libre se Neshi , DC 20540-4305 r Colleagues More warrantfor establishig,,oAND BACK MOVEMENT subject S' Sanford Be L&CID M idg Road di 5416 25-5738 a waa y_.__ he ancestral home of the Wiyot Tribe is located in what is now known as California. It is a mutiful land of marshes, rivers, inland fountains, redwoods and spruce trees. is on miles of Pacific coastal beach. has long been a place of refuge for lose who love the natural world. But it as also been the site of the immense agedies of the Gold Rush. This ;sulted in the attempted erasure of idigenous life and livelihood by the mocidal policies of 19th-century alifornia. ventral to the Wiyot's ancestral land is `uluwat Island. This is a 280-acre island tithin Humboldt Bay. Today this is the ity of Eureka, California. a 1860, at a Wiyot annual ceremony on .hluwat Island, a gang of white settlers massacred a majority of Wiyot people. The ,w survivors of this genocide, moved to able Bluff Reservation in the south region ,f their homeland. a 1970 Albert James, the son of a survivor tad a dream of returning to the island. He ,pproached Eureka city officials who gnored his proposal. 3ut the power of his dream remained. In he 1990s, James' Niece, Leona Wilkinson, tnd the Wiyot Tribal Chairwoman, :beryl Seidner brought the proposal back o life. They hosted open prayer vigils to ionor what was lost. They rebuild the ►eart and power of the Wiyot people still ►n the island. The vigils brought indigenous )eople together with selttlers. They created .ircles of education and action for justice, restoration, and truth telling. Chen the Wiyot discovered that a small )art of the island was for sale. The tribe vorked.with the Seventh Generation Fund, ;o create the Wiyot Sacred Sites Fund. they sold T-shirts and art. They hosted ,ommunity dinners, concerts, celebrations. they maintained a consistent presence in ;he Eureka community year after year.' After more than a decade, the Wiyot were able to buy the small piece of land to heal the tribe. But they always carryed with them the dream of the return of Tuluwat. Finally by 2015, the City of Eureka, CA unanimously voted to return the island to the Wiyot. It tools four more years to do the legal and administrative work Finally, on Oct. 21, 2019, the city formally returned Tuluwat Island to the Wiyot Tribe. This was the first time in the US that a city government gave land back to its ancestral caretakers. It was a profound testament to the power of the organizing strength and vision of the Wiyot people. A small part of the island remains in private hands. But Chairwoman Seidner confirmed that those land owners are peacefully coexisting with their neighbors. They stated, "We know how it feels to be taken away from our land. " Against the violent and genocidal settler colonialist US history, this native victory to restore Tuluwat Island to its original owners is remarkable. From Landback to Future Building by Indigenous Leaders The Wiyot are inspiring leaders in a worldwide movement dubbed#LandBack It protects and restores ancestral lands to the care of Indigenous people. The LandBack movement is bomjfrokn work that has been done for centuries It originated with our ancestors fightg to remain within their territories. Usmg direct action and legal battles, they fought for their right to hunt, fish, and gather on. their territrories. They also fought to protect our sacred sites and homelands from contamination and desecration by industry. Justice and healing can emerge in powerful ways when Indigenous lands are in Indigenous hands. The Wiyot Tribe's success with Tuluwat Island is a powerful example of the international Indigenous LandBack movement. Recently that movement took actions like the Red Road to DC journey in 2021. They brought awareness of threats to sacred places. They engaged in direct' action and a'legal struggle to stop the Line 3 oil pipeline from contaminating the Great Lakes. They also introduced the RESPECT Act in Congress. It requires federal agencies to consult with tribes for their informed consent before persuing any regulatory action -that may impact tribes. The story of the Wiyot tribe's LandBack journey continues to inform and inspire others. The return of Tuluwat Island and restoration of the tribe's care and guidance is the unshakable foundation of Indigenous -led futures. The foundation honors the land, community and our collective liberation. Dr. PennElys Droz Anishinaabekwe Yes Magazine page 20 Mother Warriors Voice. - StarTribune MINNESOTA SUNDAY. DECEMBER 24, 2023 • SECTION B "It becomes a way of individuals to signal `oh, yes, we're trying to think about Indigenous peoples' without actually having to do anything." Pairfamialwordswith action, Native leaders say. ByZOEJACKSON me jackson@startribune com "We are on stolen land" reads a protest sign. .. Hennepin County acknowledges that the mag- nificent land and vibrant waterways from which our institutions benefit, are located upon the cultural, spiritual, and indigenous Jacob Jurss, ahistoryprofessor at Century College in White Bear Lake homeland of the Dakota oyate (Dakota Nation)," says an acknowledgment read at the start of County Board meetings. And on the Guthrie The- ater's website: " .. we gather on the traditional land of the Dakota People and honor with gratitude the land itself and the people who have stewarded it throughout the generations, including the Ojibwe andother Indigenous nations." � LAND from Bl write one, from majorcorpo- rations to grade school teach- ers, Ducheneaux said. They published a guide to creating a land acknowledg- ment that inspired several acknowledgments and pmj- ecm Twoyears later, theyfol- lowed up with new material calledBeyondl.andAcknowl- edgemeut that focused more ontheactualstepsthatpeople and organizations can take to support indigenous commu- nities, he said. Their guide encourages those looking to undergo the process to begin by looking inward —'if you're deliver- ing a land acknowledgment out of guilt or because every- one else is doing it, more self - reflection is in order," the guide instructs. The guide says "you shouldn't expect Indigenous people to do this work for you;' he said. "It's something that is incumbent upon non - Native folks to take on, the some people say burden, I say the honor and privilege, to do this research and learn about your Indigenous neighbors:' Creating action steps is the most crucial best practice to land acknowledgments, he said. Do you plan to make a donation to a Native -led charity, to attend a protest or commit to learning about land return, the Native Gov- ernment guide asks. Then be prepared to take on the work, the guide advises. Many public events now begin with land acknowledg- ments — statements written or spoken before everything from artistic performances to county meetings. The state- ments, which have grown in popularity around the coun- try, aim to recognizethetreaty rights that mark Indigenous people as the historical stew- ards ofthe Iand.In Minnesota, at least 150 have been written by churches, local govern- ments and Rotary Clubs. "Ourwork after that event and our initial guide has been really trying to help focus on the steps you take to get in relationship with Indian Country, versus just putting out a statement so that you cancheckabox;'Ducheneaux said. History of the practice Land acknowledgments first appeared in Australia and New Zealand during the push for aboriginal rights in the 1970s. In North America, the practice became popular in Canada with the publication of the Truth and Reconcilia- tion Commission of Canada's 2015 government -led report that created a historical record of the country's residential schools system, known as boarding schools in the U.S., said Jacob Jurss, a historypro- fessor at Century College in White Bear Lake. "Out of that, institutions in Canada started to acknowl- edge Indigenous land," Jurss said. "I think a lot of univer- sity institutions started see- ing this, and thinking, 'Oh, well, are we doing anything in our communities here in the United States?'" The Dakota Access pipe- line protests during the tran- sitionbetween the Obama and Trump administrations were the largest contemporary protest gatherings of Indig- enous people over one issue, Jurss said. With Indigenous MM- As land acknowledgments continue to evolve and orga- nizations grapple with the best way to write them, some Native leaders urge connect- ing them to action. The nonprofit Native Governance Center, which works with Native nations to strengthen their sovereignty beganhearing more andmore aboutlandacknowledgments several years ago, said Wayne Ducheneaux, who recently stepped down from his post people at the forefront, allies were looking fora way to sup- port, he said. "Theybecomemorepoliti- cized and they become more corporatized. So it becomes away of individuals to signal 'oh, yes, we're trying to think about Indigenous peoples' without actually having to do anything," Jurss said. Cris Stainbrook, executive director of the Minnesota - based Indian Land Tenure Foundation, began seeing the statements around the same time: At fast the foundation, whichworks to purchase and return previously taken land to Native Americans, stayed away from them completely. A statement °isn't enough' "There's a trend to go and reconsider,'Oh, we have this acknowledgment statement,' but just acknowledging it isn't enough,"' Stainbrook said. "In fact people have sent us several and asked us if that's enough action." The Hopeful Earthkeep- ers, a group of Minnesota United Methodist Church members working on envi- ronmental justice projects, spent two years meeting and developing a 47-page curricu- lum for Methodist churches or conferences that want statements. "One of our initial efforts was to connect with our Native American partners in this. And they said, `Well, it's white people's job to do this as longtime executive direc- tor. Their staff researched how organizations and non- profits in other countries used them, including in New Zealand, where few meetings begin without them. They held an informa- tional session on the practice on Indigenous Peoples Day in 2019. Immediately after- ward, they were inundated with hundreds of requests for instruction on how to See LAND on B6 - [but] we're glad you're doing it: ...Thatwas arealkeycom- poneatofourapproach;'said Bill Konrardy, a member of the group. Their guide materials include informational docu- mentaries, reflective prayers on decolonization. and dis- cussion questions meant to investigate how one's family came to reside on the land. Reckoning with the past A major piece of the pro- cess was reckoning with whiteness and why the church thought it was OK to take part in genocide and separate children from their families, the Rev. Debra Col- lum said. "Part of our theology as Methodists is that we are moving on towards holiness. How do we live as holy peo- ple onlandthat'sstolen?How dowe do that with any kind of integrity," Collura said. Colium will send emails with articles or book recom- mendations to participants to keep them engaged. More than half of the participants followed up with acknowl- edgments developed follow- ing the program, she said. Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis made headlines in January for a $250,000 donation to the Indian Land Tenure Founda- tion. The church read their acknowledgment and asked Stainbrooh what he thought of it, he said. Thewords were nice, he told them, but what weretheygoingto do aboutit? Later, he returned for anotherpresentation andthe church surprised him with the check "It doesn't have to be money or even big money. It just needs to be something," he said of acknowledgment efforts. Kristin Lin, a former edi- tor at the Minnesota -based podcast OnBeing withKrista Tippett, had never written a land acknowledgment before undergoing the process in 2018. When she began think- ing of the language for their written andaudio statement, she thought about ways to make it more powerful by connecting listeners with both the history of the land and the ways Native co mmu- nities continue to cultivate a relationship with the land. The research process was humbling, said Lin, who cred- itedhtdigenousMinnesotans for their consultation in the podcast's acknowledgment. Bythe end, Lin saidit feltlike something everyone should do. "I think land acknowledg- ments should also be aninvi- tation to relate," Lin said. "I found every conversation I had during that time to be so generous.... I'm very thank- ful for everyone who partici- pated" Zo@Jackson -612-673-7112 Oa X: @zoemiack ® Smithsonian 12-27-23 ear i y suqgest thate mmi c;c;i nn - *recommend to the UitV of Edina that the Lo pty' c 1 and acknowledgment (or a shortened version of it) be posted at as well Bo +hn +wo rndtnty ibraries * urge the Edina School Board to withdraw the suspension of the two SomBlj American students and apologize to both of them (Inasmuch as "From the river to genocidal or antisemitic) Name Instrtgram Handle Languages Type of Zontent Bisan ; ` EN Film/Content maker on the ground udates Ahmed liij+azi pied `i P_ AR, on sub! Posting updates fitly of shifcaa hospital �# g +y +��f■+�/�,� Motaz AZaiia: yam.. q .' f � f { t .... MAR P4oto and videcd jcutrr illiSt stirtgg:con-. tinbus Ota the 'round rpdrates Hind Khoury Plestia Alagad ►!itd ly tia Ell, AR EN, Ali . Journalist posting and writing updates Journalist posting daily updates from Gaza Ahmed Aborieloa Afaf Ahmed at-,j tam sf fP, f► AR, en subt Eta video maker capturing testimonials of people Journalist posting situational updates Rahaf'Shomaly LM-Qr WQD 19 Eel, Ali Artist posting relates from Gaza. Yousef Memo EN, Aft PICU nurse, freelohcer social medid activist' Solmaq Shaheen sit _ aheei) EN, AR Journalist posting and writing updates Refaat Aiar'eer ref t 7 EN Writer and journalist reporting from Gaza Mohammed Zoonoun r = EN Photo journalist on the ground in Gaza Wissam Nassor VV15WrT QQZQ Ali Photo journalist also pasting videos daily Sara Al Sagqa som— I . r obi; AR Surgeon dt of shifab hospital Meera Ac#nannQn wl EN Des igner and writer updating In Grazer Salma ShurrablchttlRrvl Ei�l Ctigitai content creator in Gaza Doaa Rouges: Arjgj AR Journalist reporting from Gaza Motasem Mortaia unQtqseyinjQf,tqJo AR Photo and video journalist reporting Roshidi Sarrai ros EN Filmmaker pasting updates from Gaza a+cdet t►te$ , Abu Rush c l ltl4 m _u rig AR Photographer posting updates Mahrriaud Mona f AR Content creator posting upd tes, Belal Khaledlal Aft Artist posting updates Fares M Ahbar tof QuQt2EN, AR Artist posting updates from Gaza Ali Jadall+dfi ,�, allrah% EN, Aft Photographer capturing stories in Gaza Gaza Medic Voices a r< EN First hand accounts from medical tworkers Yara Eid =,{ EN Gazan 'aurnalist stun fro London It's not Nazareth it's Al Nasra It's .not Acre it's Akka It's not Beit She' an it's Bisan It's .not Tel Aviv Yafo it's Yaffa It's not Jaffa, it's Yaffa It's not Hebron it's Al Khalil It's not Jerusalem it's Al Quds It's not Jericho it's Arecyha It's not Lod it's al-Lydd It's not Bethlehem it's Bayt Lahm :it's not the Negev it's al-Nagab It's not Beer Sheva, it's Bir As -Saba' It's not Tiberias, it's Tabariyya It's not Gush Halav, its Al Dish current.mnsun.com - Edina Sun Current Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023 • Page 5 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Response to. the Mayors column To the Editor. Mayor Hovland right- ly condemns antisemi- tism and the atrocities committed on Oct. 7 by Hamas in his column, "Observations from a mayor — Kfar Aza," pub- lished in the Nov. 2 issue of the Sun Current. He is also right to call for a ceasefire to stop what is now unfolding in Gaza and already merits a sim- ple descriptor (though he doesn't invoke it): Geno-. cide. However, the Mayor's lament over the deep pain and suffering of Is - raeli Jews lacks the moral impact it might otherwise have had if he also: • denounced the fre- quent marches through Jerusalem by settlers and Orthodox Jews chanting "death to the Arabs!" . • criticized the recent decision to expel more than 25,000 Eritrean and Sudanese asylum -seekers from Israel the govem- meat describing, :these Black Africans asunwor- thy "economic migrants" rather than victims of op- pression • descried the continued imprisonment of 5,000 Palestinians, about 1,400 of them being jailed in- definitely without charg- es or convictions • questioned the influ- ential impact on U.S. for- eign policy of the many Christian Zionists who mightily seek to restore totally Jewish dominion over Biblical Israel — that is, a Holy Land free of Arabs — in order to ful- fill Biblical prophecies and ultimately get them- selves (but not uncon- verted Jews) "raptured" to heaven similarly examined the outsized role of Is- raeli religious fanatics who hope to re -annex "Judea & Samaria" (The Occupied Territories), placing all of Biblical Is- rael under Jewish domin- ion, and who successfully pressured the Knesset to declare Israel a "Jewish state despite 20% or more of the population not being either ethni- cally or religiously Jewish • disassociated him- self from longtime Prime Minister Golda Meir's declaration, which still informs much of Israeli policy — that "There was no such thing as Palestin- ians" • acknowledged, with dismay, the shared find- ings of Amnesty Inter- national, Human Rights Watch, and B'Tselem that Israelis an apartheid state So, mazel tov!, Mr. Mayor, on calling for an immediate ceasefire. And perhaps you'd agree on the wisdom of a mutual prisoner -and -hostage release, as well as the prompt end of the occu- pation itself. Shalom! Salaam! Sanford Berman Edina me mW �QLpo O9 �N3 0'a am ,y o_$31Z OLmin Oc(0„'o pQ� W mono '�Grn�fn .am d.3 �vx X3 z3�co=m�wm ?�a`� x.T�yivd mmNy 2. 2. o o-�8�E9 �d� own, d t N C y C O N 9LOi C N O d w=„ONG a C N 7 O: N y LA. N 1=D tOi N C 3 S O (a vJ N N O �' �. a g m w�0�.. w3C= a. vtwN m "gym oA 3�—c+ o m m2 ��mH ?. ��"0 3 3 0 "�v Am c � m o' Zg co ' o a m si q v- _ 3 p 6 -- " = a =. w m m <n-o o a+ = e !? a `� d in = c rr�rr���rrr x �, n+ a cp x"o m 3 mQ-m —?. m •p my v��a t d " m 3<m .. Utz $ cw1>a p_ „ p z m re t �g y in 3 cn -. �0 3 -o 0 8 �- m e N z m' y. n " d in Icy 2 'o = m n. 3 3 ,� 3 3 3 r9n a d m- F `� m- c m N' c m- `cs o a C`•'`,, N t0 •• S w cn N O. H m a A ¢� d 9 3 w ? a �' c C H rt O' N O O O O O_ O. - `c W 3 c@i w o. 0 y..3 m 3 i m 3 3 3 3 3 g` 4, o" ' do- �;, . a: a n ate- n.v °-o w �33 m m < o S Nzaa Z� o •� "vJi S.��� m 3 -g3 3 C -y m a FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2023 STAR TRIBUNE • A9 Opinion Exchange Commentaries are selectedto present a range ofperspectives and do not necessanlyreflectthe views ofthe StarTnbune Editorial Board. ISRAEL AND PALESTINE Oct. 7 denial is dangerous to decency, truth And as history shows, we are all at an inflection point. By STEVEHUNEGS Oct 7 denial — like Holocaust denial — is riding menacingly high this holiday season For some, the Haman barbarism is a subject of dispute. For others— judging by their reaction (or lack thereof) — it is amatter ofindifference. In either case it is aprofound challenge to decency and truth. It is why — at the request of Imers Consulate in Chicago — I hosted a screening ofthe Haman atrocity video compiled largely from the bodycam, cellphone and social media posts of Haman terrorists. As reported in the Star Tnhune and other media, opinion leaders and journalists were invited to bear witness. It was not an ask made lightly. The scenes are grotesque In one moment, a Haman terrorist decapitates a dead Israel soldier and walks away with the head as though he is codling a ball. We also watched as ayoung boy of about ll _why wit-. _ nessedhisfathermmdered-=warlfinm5'is-ldtcK-floor,"Daddy,da-day God,whyamlaUveras thelfamas terrorist nonchalantly raidedhis refrigerator fora snack Stilllater,we heardaterroristboast tohis parents by cellphone that he justkilledl0 Jews. Itisth(�stuffofmo=ares.Ofawse,itis tbehvedexperience oflmwhsandothers (including Americans) from throughout the world who were murdered, raped, tortured and mutilated on Oct.7, and the over 100 who are still being held hostage byHamas The urgent need to screen the atrocity video is on display only a few miles away at the Univer- sity of Minnesota There the Gender Women and Sexuality Studies issued a "Faculty Statement on Palestine^ on Oct 16. In the inverted world of this statement, Hamas terrorists are "fighters" conducting an "excur- sion" into Israeli territory in which no mention is made of murder, beheadings, rape, burning people alive or hostage taking. The statement outrageously assails "global media coverage [for] reproduce[mg] Islamophobic tropes of terrorism and unsubstantiated c]aims of 5mcivilized'viokence^ Attertwomonths ontheCoRegeofLiberalArtswebsite �. (in violation of university policy dealing withstatements, ;? which apparently the administration is loath to enforce) Oct7,imiakis alive andwellattheUniversityoflvfmnesota. _ Thetmivemtyishardlyaloneinitsbistoriralrevisiomsm or uncharacteristic reticence R took the United Nations until December to recognize the vast and collective sex- TANm2XArtFA•NewYorkTimes ualassault perpetrated bytheHama sterrorists onLsraeli AchanedHanukkahmenorah womenonOct7. is seen at a home in Kissufrrn, an The existence of this denial is atrocious. Even more Israeli lu%butz nearthe Gaza bor- sobering it is symptomatic ofsomethingfar worse. derthatwas heavilydarnagedin AccordmgtotheDecemberFIarvard/HamsPoll,among the Hamas attack on Oct.7. Americans aged 18-24, 674'o agree that "Jews as a class are oppressors," 60%be&mthe Oct7aft-oddeswerejwdfied, 51%say,'7sraelshoukd beendedandgivento Hamas and thePalestinians,"and50%supportHamas more than Israel (fortunately, according to the same poll, Americans overall reject these beliefs). Nearly 80 years after the end of World War II, a majority of young Americans — the future leaders of our nation— believe the killing of Israelis and the termination ofthe Jewish state is acceptable and justifiable, while an Overwhelming majority cling to a deeply antisemitic trope We are all at an inflection point The JCRC and our Jewish communal colleagues are working tirelessly to address this surg- ing tide ofJew-hatred, but this is not aproblem for Jews alone to solve As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks taught, "[tJhe hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews. Antisemitismis theworid's most reliable early warning sign ofamajor threat to freedom, humanity, and the dignity of difference. It matters to all ofus. Whichis why we must fight it together." There is fortunately some guidance for the path ahead: Aftertheshoah, the catholicchurchpromulgatedtheNostraAetato wbichduN,*addressed churchant;sera,tism.NearlyeveryPmt-mtdenominationadoptedits ownvermon oftheNostra Aetate since the 1960s. Such theological reset, outreach and peacemaking has thrust Chnstian. Jewish relations into anupward trajectory —particular" in North America and Europe. One difference is that the appallingmews ofyoungAmericans are not religious based Are they cultural, social, educational or incubated in social medial Theprevalenceofyoungpeoplem—lmgandsloganeenngwi hthegenoa&L"Fmmthenver to the sea, Palestine will befree; on campuses and in high schools may mean it is all ofthe above. JudgingfmmOur Own UnwersityofMnnesotaand the polling cited above —there is alead- ership and moral clarity deficiency which must be addressed Steve Hunegs is executive director, Jewish Community Relations council of Minnesota and the Dakotas. War of words obscures horror of real war Anger over a phrase is a distraction from Israel's retribution BykQARYcBRISTlNE BADER�-- IT Two Edina High School students r A �" were suspended last month for IF - MEEK rkom TR T than. "From the river to the sea, �.ue Pei Palestine willbefreet" IlrtiJ lfiC t7U1� ']+°i.{, AF SFA AtAmericanuniversities,admin- v..; & THE 01HER �Aliir� isttatorsare punishing student dem- PBAYfNG onstratorswho chantthesame thing. And when U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the only Palestin- ian -American in Congress, invoked --. thosewords,she_wascensuredbyher colleagues. It is a war of words, diverting -, attentionfromarealwarwhosemost BORIS ROESSLER • AssoaMedke recentbattiestartedwithamassacre Young womenhokiplacardsduring apro-Palestinian Of some 1,200 Israelis and the kid- demonstrationinFranVmt,Gemlany,Nov.3. napping of 240 Israeli hostages by Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza Gaza is where more than 2 million Palestin- ians live in a virtual prison imposed by Israel. In revenge for the massacre by Hamas, Israel has besieged, bombed and invaded Gaza, laying waste to much ofthe territory and killing an estimated 20,000 Palestinians — the majority children and women The disproportionate casualties and even greater imbalance in weapons of death and destruction are finally getting attention — even among members of Congress who are cur- rently considering the Biden administration's proposal to give Israel an additional $14billion as it crusades to destroy Haman. Never mind the "collateral damage^ of tens of thousands of civilians (or ` vermin," as one Israeli official calledthem),Israel is wagingawar ofretribution — collective punishment that looks like genocide. And -a%Lsraelpardsans attempt to divert our attention —and our eyes —withawar ofwords. The 10 words, "From the river, to the sea Palestine willbe free," are said to threaten genocide for Jews. So, what do those 10 words mean Well, that depends. Just like the fraught history of the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, those words mean different things to different people Tb ardent Zionists, Israeli settlers, the Jewish diaspora and others, the chant calls for the end to a Jewish state and elimination of Jews from the entire area ofhistoric Palestine. In the chant they hear threats of anotherHolocaust Not incidentally, Israel already controls all the areabetween the river and the sea In their 1948 war of independence, the Israelis took 78% of Palestine. Then, in 1967, they occupied and began moving Jewish settlers into Gaza and the West Bank —the remainder ofhistonc Palestine. The charter of IsraePs Likud party declares there will be only Israeli sovereignty (read. one state) between "the sea and the Jordan [River]." And it is good to remember that Israel has enshrined Jewish supremacy in its foundational Basic Law. To Haman and others who may wish or seek the destruction ofthe Jewish state, the chant might seem bike a call to arms for those whose weapons are vastly inferior to those ofthe well -armed Jewish state. To fix on only that meaning ofthe chant, however; is to doom any resolution ofthe long Palestinian -Israeli war to a zero -sum game ofthem-or-us. But to Rashida Tlaib and to many others, the chant expresses hope they will one day be free to live as equals in all of Palestine, their historic homeland. They will not be confined to disconnected areas in the West Bank or imprisoned in Gaza or live as second-class citizens of a Jewish state They envision Palestinians and Jews living together in a single state, not a Jewish state but a state of all its citizens. That is an aspiration that we, as Americans, should support It is not, however, what our country currently supports. Our policies support Israeli supremacy and the subjugation of Palestinians. When I bear Americans chanting. "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," I hear echoes ofthe American civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome," the song that powered the movement forracialiustice and equalityinAmerica. in the 1960s, some ofthe strongest voices singingthat song at marches belonged to American Jews. Many ofthose same justice -driven Jews are marching and chanting with the Palestinians today. They know there is still so much injustice to be overcome. Words arepowerfal. They can change the subject or they can change the world. "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" is an urgent call to change the word Mary Christine Bader is a writer in Wayzata.