A thank you to churches from Hocak (Ho-Chunk) UCC

Jul 12, 2019

The Conference received this letter from Hocak UCC thanking the churches in the Wisconsin Conference for studying the Doctrine of Discovery and voting to repudiate it.  The letter also provides an update regarding actions planned or taken to continue this work. Please take a moment to read this letter.

The congregation of the Hocak (Ho-Chunk) UCC would like to take this time to thank all the churches who studied and voted on the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery. This medieval edict was implemented in 1823 as Indian Policy and has ultimately created legal racial inequalities of people of color including the Indigenous People of this continent.

Please consider this to be our progress report on the ongoing work the Hocak UCC is doing in regards to the resolution which was unanimously voted on.  We are pleased to submit the following:

• Ongoing commitment to the resolution- Doctrine of Discovery
• Input of people studying the Doctrine.
• Implementation of a new organization: Foundation For Justice (FFJ). (A proposed UCC affiliate)
• Work on the infra-structure of the Foundation for Justice.

Ongoing commitment to the Doctrine of Discovery Resolution- 2019 WI. Annual Meeting.

The Hocak UCC, Consistory Committee and congregation are grateful to all of the churches who have studied the Doctrine of Discovery and, during the 2019 Annual Meeting held in Wisconsin Dells, voted to pass the resolution.

During the year of study of the Doctrine of Discovery, the question that always seemed to come up was “Where  do go from here”?  Taking this into consideration we, the members of the Hocak UCC congregation have planned to put into motion steps to create an organization addressing racial injustices.

Please read the entire letter here>