Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in La Crosse, WI, occupies the ancestral and unceded land of the Ho-Chunk people. We recognize and honor the enduring relationship that the Ho-Chunk and all Indigenous peoples maintain with this land, which has been a source of life, culture, and spirituality for countless generations.

We acknowledge that this land was forcibly taken from the Ho-Chunk Nation and that this history continues to shape the present. As a community of faith, we seek to better understand this history and its impact on Indigenous communities today.

We encourage reflection on our role as caretakers of this land and stewards of justice. We seek to practice respect not only in words but in actions that affirm the dignity, resilience, and contributions of Indigenous peoples. This commitment calls us to listen, learn, and engage in meaningful acts of reconciliation.

Through this acknowledgment, we recognize the need to work together toward healing relationships with the Ho-Chunk people and all Indigenous communities. We invite everyone in our congregation and community to join in this journey of reflection, respect, and reconciliation, grounded in our faith and shared humanity.

May this statement serve as a reminder of our responsibility to honor the past, live with integrity in the present, and build a more just future.