We are midway through our discernment activities as we consider together the name of Blackhawk Presbytery.  We hope you will help spread the word and invite members of your congregation to participate in some of the remaining events.  A Discernment Flyer (link) and Bulletin Insert (link) can help you get the word out to your congregation. Both links are meant to be printed back-to-back.

At our well-attended July Zoom sessions we discussed what is in a name through the lens of Allyship. Allyship with marginalized groups, in this case our native brothers and sisters, builds empathy through listening and understanding. We had an opportunity to re-hear and discuss parts of the May assembly meeting presentation by April Holder, direct descendant of Black Hawk. It became clear that in the Sauk tribal culture, names and the traditions associated with them, carry great emotional and spiritual weight. After so much has been taken from indigenous peoples – their lives, land, language, traditions – holding on to what they consider sacred, their names, is not trivial. Ms. Holder has been gracious in our budding relationship with her, assigning no blame or ill-intentions. We were encouraged to see a potential name change as an opportunity.

Our next zoom gatherings will build on what that opportunity may look like. What actions will we discern to be appropriate with the knowledge and understanding we now have? You are encouraged to register for either of the Part 2 Zoom discussions at the following links. Please note you do not need to have attended Part 1 to attend Part 2. While we don’t have a recording of the Part 1 sessions, the Power Point presentation is available for you to use in your congregation – video clips and presenter notes included.

7:00 August 7 Discerning What’s in a Name – Action

2:00 August 19 Discerning What’s in a Name – Action

If you would like to participate in an in-person discussion to informally discuss all our discernment activities and the available resources… join us for Coffee in Your Corner.   This gathering will be 10:00 am on August 12 at Shawn’s Coffee House in Sycamore.

To refresh yourself on Blackhawk’s history in our area or read his own words, please use this link. Links to other background resources can be found within the Blackhawk Presbytery website under LANA Resources.

We hope you will join us in this important season of discernment.