From deep dives into Quaker special collections at the University of Massachusetts and Haverford College, I find there is ample evidence of a special relationship between the original peoples of North America and Quakers. For instance, upon their first encounter in 1682, Lenape Chief Tamanend and Quaker William Penn entered a pact of eternal wëlànkuntëwakàn (brotherhood/amity/friendship) remembered for generations. They pledged to live together in peace and mutual aid as long as the sun rose and the waters flowed, yet the land is now despoiled and the people are largely displaced. What happened and what is recoverable? Has the face of friendship become the face of death? I am interested in the uniqueness of, strains to, and potential for strengthening this vital relationship.

During the project period (January 2024-June 2025), this grant will enable me to fully devote my energies to intervisitation among Friends to share research findings related to the boarding school era, articulate the ongoing harms of forced assimilation, and cast a vision for what peacemaking might look like in our day, starting with the expressed needs of the people most impacted.