As Wolastoqewi-Mothers, Grandmothers, and Aunties—keepers of life, memory, and spirit—we speak today not out of anger, but out of deep sorrow and responsibility.
Our teachings remind us that every child is sacred, that land is not a possession but a living relative, and that dignity belongs to all peoples, no matter how far from our own homeland they may be. We have long followed a path of non-interference, respecting the sovereignty and self-determination of other nations. This is a principle that has allowed us to survive, to heal, and to remain rooted in our own identity.
Yet, there are moments in history when silence becomes too heavy to bear.
As women whose families and ancestors have known the weight of dispossession, forced removals, and systemic erasure, our hearts cannot turn away from the suffering in Gaza. We see in the cries of Palestinian Mothers the echoes of our own. We see in the rubble of homes, the memory of our sacred places lost. We see in the denial of basic humanity, the long shadow of genocide.
To witness such loss and remain silent would be a betrayal of our own stories.
We do not speak to assign blame or to deepen wounds. We speak as women who understand that healing begins with recognition—of pain, of injustice, and of shared humanity. We believe that all peoples have a right to live in safety, dignity, and peace on their ancestral lands. This includes our Palestinian Relatives, whose suffering now demands the attention and compassion of the world.
We urge those in power, those with voice and influence, to remember the human cost of war, to uphold the sanctity of life, and to choose justice over silence.
“From the banks of Wolastoq to the shores of Gaza,” may our collective grief become a call for peace—not peace built on erasure, but peace rooted in truth, dignity, and care for all life.
Signed,
Wolastoqewi-Mothers, Grandmothers, and Aunties
