Admiral Church recently hosted a 3-part community education series on the history of Manifest Destiny and its impact on the original land and people of West Seattle. This was an opportunity to learn the honest history of white settlement of Seattle.

This is a direct action toward living out our weekly land acknowledgement. A committed group has been thoroughly researching the history of our property, especially focusing on the time between the Treaty of Point Elliot in 1855 and the first purchase by what was then West Seattle Congregational Church in 1900.

A:The Earth is the Lord’s, and all that is on it.

B: From time immemorial indigenous peoples have used the shores and waterways of Puget Sound to sustain vibrant communities.
A: White settlers and colonizers came to this land with the goal of American expansion,
B: removing indigenous peoples from their homes and establishing Seattle as a city without natives. 

We have inherited this legacy and title to this land from our ancestors. We commit ourselves to learning this difficult history so that the gift we give to those that come after us is more inclusive, more sustainable, and more vibrant. We give thanks to God for the land, the water, and the Duwamish peoples, who were and are among us here today.