Note: This statement has been edited to address the helpful feedback we’ve gotten. This is meant as a statement of TAAAP’s values. Decolonization is a long process that will never be fully completed, but members of TAAAP want to be held accountable for the ways in which we perpetuate and participate in colonial thinking and actions. We welcome further feedback and corrections.
The Ace and Aro Advocacy Project was founded in the United States, and almost all of our members, as well as the people in the communities we serve, reside in the United States or in other colonized countries. Colonialism is violence, and living as a settler in colonized countries means participating in that violence. Even as we fight to bring attention and resources to our underserved and underrepresented identities, it is essential that we respect and acknowledge the rightful caretakers of colonized lands. We must also always remember and acknowledge the history of violence against Indigenous peoples, and the violence still practiced and institutionalized in our societies today. TAAAP is based out of Maryland, which is the traditional home of many Indigenous peoples, including, but not limited to, the Accohannock, Anacostan, Massawomeck, Manahoac, Nentego, Piscataway, Pamunkey, and Susquehannock peoples. (You can check what peoples have claim to which lands at this site: native-land.ca.) Some of these peoples are not listed on this map or acknowledged today, but we know that they still exist and wish to acknowledge them as well. Many of these peoples were driven away, were enslaved, or were killed, whether through violence or disease. Plenty of these peoples survive today. Now, around the world, Indigenous populations are more likely to live in poverty, be disenfranchised by colonial governments, and face violence than almost any other population.
Continue reading “Decolonizing TAAAP”