Collective Spaces is a community that will be physically located on land near South Boston, Virginia. We acknowledge that this land was stolen from its original stewards, the people of the Saponi, Occaneechi, Eno, and Tutelo tribes and nearby communities. These groups shared common ancestors as well as the Siouan language and cultural traditions, but maintained distinct tribal identities.

Various colonizers made claims of “discovering” these tribes and applied their own names to the people and the places they lived in. This systematic erasure of Indigenous peoples’ language was one part of a larger genocide committed against Indigenous and Native Americans; European colonizers murdered the people they found on this land and destroyed entire communities.

The tribes of this area were subsequently displaced as a result of years of violence, sickness and disease, forcible relocation, and broken treaties with the colonizers. We acknowledge that this is the history of the land where we will work, build, and live.

Today, there are around 1,300 members of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation (OBSN) living mostly in North Carolina. We acknowledge their presence, their future, and their contributions to this area. 

With humility and gratitude, we acknowledge the beauty of this land, its abundant natural resources, and the growth that this land represents for our community.

Learn more about the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation here.