Mount Horeb United Methodist Church occupies Ho-Chunk Land, a place their nation has called Teejop (Day-JOPE) since time immemorial. In an 1832 treaty, the Ho-Chunk (the people of the sacred voice) were forced to cede this territory.

Decades of ethnic cleansing followed when both the federal and state governments repeatedly sought to forcibly remove the Ho-Chunk from Wisconsin. While many tribal members were removed from Teejop to Nebraska, where they have become known as the Winnebago Tribe, the Ho-Chunk Nation have maintained near constant habitation of their ancestral lands here in Wisconsin.

This history of colonization informs our shared future of collaboration and innovation. Today, our congregation respects the inherent sovereignty of the Ho-Chunk Nation, along with the eleven other First Nations of Wisconsin. We acknowledge the harm done to indigenous peoples across the Americas in the name of Christianity and are seeking paths towards decolonization. Please consider the many legacies of violence, displacement, migration, and settlement that bring us together here. And join us in uncovering such truths every day.