United Church Camps Inc. (UCCI) - Daycholah Center: the story of our renaming
INTRODUCTION
Awareness and Opportunity
The renaming of Pilgrim Center to Daycholah Center—the original Hocak (Ho-Chunk) name for Green Lake—is the culmination of awareness and opportunity presented following the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery by the Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ at their 2019 annual meeting. UCCI's Outdoor Ministry has a unique role and opportunity to restore the voice of Native Americans and recognize their stewardship of this sacred place.
BACKGROUND
American Colonization and the Doctrine of Discovery
Understanding the name change begins with understanding what the Doctrine of Discovery allowed. The Wisconsin UCC Resolution of Witness summarizes the Doctrine of Discovery:
“This Doctrine authorized the genocide of Native Peoples and the theft of Native Lands. The Indigenous Peoples were told that God has declared that the Pope rules all people, regardless of their law, sect, or belief. This includes Christians, Moors, Jews, Gentiles, or any other sect. The Native Americans were to come forward of their own free will to convert to Catholicism or… with the help of God we shall use force against you, declaring war upon you from all sides and with all possible means, and we shall bind you to the yoke of the Church and Their Highnesses; we shall enslave your persons, wives, and sons, sell you or dispose of you as the King sees fit; we shall seize your possessions and harm you as much as we can as disobedient and resisting vassals.”
In 1823, the Doctrine of Discovery became a part of U.S. federal law in the U.S. Supreme Court case Johnson v. M’Intosh. Here, Chief Justice John Marshall wrote “the principle of discovery gave European nations an absolute right to New World lands.”
The U.S. government had the legal authority to exclude, remove and ignore Native American property. By asserting the right to claim indigenous lands, they silenced Native Americans for hundreds of years. This power continues to be exercised in frequent injustices against tribal communities, including the Standing Rock Sioux and the Dakota Access Pipeline.
IMPORTANCE
The Power of a Name
Such injustices have not been limited to territorial intrusion, however. The exploitation of ideological and cultural power has seen many Native American lands become represented by names chosen by people who came after them.
In her essay “Speaking of Nature,” author Robin Wall Kimmerer, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, summarizes linguistic imperialism as a tool of colonization, “meant to obliterate history and the visibility of the people who were displaced along with their languages.”
“Thankfully, human history is marked by an ever-expanding recognition of personhood, from the time when aboriginals were not seen as human, when slaves were counted as three-fifths of a person, and when a woman was worth less than a man. Language, personhood, and politics have always been linked to human rights. Will we have the wisdom to expand the circle yet again? Naming is the beginning of justice.”
PROCESS AND COMMITMENTS
Commitment to Mission and Shared Values
The first indigenous principle declares: “Respect the Earth and have a Sacred Regard for All Living Things.” The UCCI Mission Statement shares this value and reads: “We will love God, all others, and the earth.” With these core values aligned, we are taking the next step in applying them to ourselves with the formal renaming of Pilgrim Center to Daycholah Center.
The Renaming Process
With hearts set toward reparation and reconciliation, UCCI engaged in a 3-year process to listen to the Ho-Chunk community and to learn and understand the effects our history has had. This dialogue was led by The Hocak United Church of Christ at the Indian Mission in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, and facilitated by The Alliance for Justice. This collaborative and deliberative journey included a diverse set of stakeholders and has focused on the impact of words and the associations they can bring with them—in this case, including “pilgrim” in Pilgrim Center.
“Many reading this article might ask, ‘What is wrong or offensive with the name ‘Pilgrim’?’ ‘Why is this such a big deal?’ In my experience and education growing up in southeast WI, the history of the Pilgrims, Puritans, idealized Thanksgivings, westward expansion, and the settling of this ‘new country’ were all spoken of positively from a European Colonist perspective,” said United Church Camps, Inc. (UCCI) Chaplain James Schleif. “As my life experience and education broadened, I learned that there is a quite different perspective from a Native American experience. Considering the native perspective, we might have a better understanding of how a name like “Pilgrim” would be offensive. In some ways, the landing of the Pilgrims and Puritans began the end of their way of life. This change of name and the educational opportunities that it will provide is one small reparative step in building strong, supportive, and sustained positive relationships with our indigenous siblings.”
Commitment to Community and Place
“The Green Lake site has always had spiritual significance as a gathering place of the Ho-Chunk people centuries before Columbus landed on Turtle Island,” said Larry Littlegeorge, member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and Chair of the Alliance for Justice.
Native Americans called the body of water Daycholah, which means Green Lake. Historical texts and anecdotes infer a location on the south shore that hosted various ceremonies and celebrations. Effigy mounds exist on the land and provide evidence of the spiritual significance of this place.
Outdoor Ministry on this land began in 1902 with the founding of The Green Lake Bible Institute.
According to UCCI Historian, Rev. Jan Davis, “During the summers of 1948-1951, and possibly 1952, the Junior Hi Camps at Pilgrim Center were called Daychola. During the same time, the daily newspaper at a Senior Hi Camp was called Daychola News.”
The new name combines the deep spiritual naming of Green Lake by the Ho-Chunk people with the first name of the camp—Green Lake Bible Institute.
Commitment to a Shared Future
The United Church of Christ (UCC) has a long history of social justice ministries and engagement. This history provides a foundation we look to build upon. We seek to care for creation, inspire and challenge one another, make courageous choices, and live out shared values.
“Renaming is an appropriate and necessary first step on our journey toward a future where all are welcome and included and have a voice,” says Judnard Henry, Daycholah Center Managing Director. “We will continue to grow as a sacred place of love, a sanctuary, a community of inclusion and belonging, a place to learn and to connect more deeply to God and all others.”
Glenn Svetnicka, UCCI Executive Director, echoes this goal: “We recognize that the most important voices throughout this process have been the voices of the Ho-Chunk people—we have listened and taken leadership from them and our decision is intended to restore their voice and acknowledge their stewardship of this land. With God’s grace, we must stand in solidarity with our indigenous sisters and brothers, and while we believe this is an important step, it is just that—a step. There is a long path in front of us and we will strive to continue learning and improving.”
Rededication
A formal rededication of the facility took place on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Monday, October 11, 2021, which this year occurs during the 400th anniversary of the first Thanksgiving. The ceremony included speakers representing the Ho-Chunk Nation, the Hocak United Church of Christ, the Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ, and UCCI. A fire circle with a presentation of the Ho-Chunk Nation flag and a shared meal followed.
RESOURCES
Learn about Wisconsin First Nations and the Ho-Chunk Nation
Read Robin Wall Kimmerer's essay "Speaking of Nature"
Wisconsin Conference UCC Resources on the Doctrine of Discovery