History: I, Greg Nooney, first became aware of this tradition when studying in Adelaide, Australia in February of 1999. I attended the First International Narrative Conference which was organized by Dulwich Centre. The Dulwich Centre community acknowledged the aboriginal people who had always been caretakers of the land where the conference was held, and would "pay the rent" by giving money to those peoples in an equivalent amount to the amount of rent they paid to the present "owners" of that land. I was very moved by this tradition, as it seemed to be an important step in making visible some important realities that are easy for those of the dominant culture to keep invisible. I began to think about how I might bring this tradition to the United States. When I decided to organize an ethical workshop dealing with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), I thought it was an excellent opportunity to take a small step in making this tradition a reality in my community.

The ethics workshop was organized with a theme of exploring the assumptions, stated and unstated, on which the DSM is based, the way it is structured and why, and the role of politics in its history and organization. This exploration by necessity requires a conscious effort to render visible some of those things which have become invisible. One example would be the medical model, which assumes a role of neutrality and expertise over the lives of those persons who are being diagnosed. These assumptions have certain effects in the lives of those being diagnosed, and in the lives of the practiciioners making the diagnoses. If the assumptions remain invisible, it is less likely that the effects will be noticed. By bringing these assumptions to the forefront, doors are opened to more possibilities for understanding and for being helpful.

The simple acknowledgment of the fact that, prior to the arrival of Europeans, there were people already living in the area that is now called Siouxland, is a way of bringing to the forfront an obvious fact, but one in which members of the dominant culture, like myself, would seldom have occasion to remember. To make such an acknowledgement, and to take one small step in paying rent for the use of that land to these first people, seemed to fit especially well with my hopes and goals for this particular workshop.

Consequently, I made contact with Frank LaMere, a Native American man who is recognized as a spiritual and political leader among the Winnebago Nation and also among a diverse group of indigenous peoples who live in the Sioux City area. I had an opportunity to meet with him and his wife Cynthia, and I shared with him some of my ideas. They were both enthusiastic about the possibilities of pursuing this.

First Instance: The first instance of this tradition being carried out in the Sioux City community occurrred on April 27, 2001 at the Holiday Inn in Sioux City, Iowa at the beginning of the workshop entitled DSM IV-TR: Ethical Considerations." I introduced Frank LaMere as a social and political activist, Vice President of "Earth, Energy and Environment" of Kansas City and Rapid City, member of the Democratic National Committee, Vice Chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party, and one of the "White Clay 6" who were arrested during a march on White Clay, Nebraska on July 3, 1999. He accepted a check from me for Native American education, and noted that, since many nations had lived at different times, in the area now called Siouxland, the money would be used for educational purposes for Native American youth of many nations.

More: I will be adding additional information about these practices of acknowledgement as it becomes available to me. I would encourage anyone who finds this idea to be intriguing, to consider doing something similar in your own community. If anyone has knowledge of this practice already being done in other communities, please contact me. I would be happy to add information to this web site about these practices, or to establish links to other sites.