At ReBlockIsland, we understand that the strongest land stewardship centers around community care and respect for Indigenous sovereignty. We firmly believe that land conservation without  decolonization equates to theft, denying Native communities their ancestral rights and cultural legacy.  Manisess, as Block Island was known by its Native inhabitants, meant  “island of the little god”. The island  was stolen from the Manissean people in 1636 through violent conquest by the Massachusetts colony in retaliation for the killing of a trader, John Oldham. This violent overthrow included the killing and enslavement of  Native men, women and children and the systematic burning of crops. The island was eventually sold in parcels in 1661 to sixteen British families from the Massachusetts Colony, finalizing the theft of the land from the Manisseans. 
 Block Island has long been a leader in conservation with over 40% of its land permanently protected, with some sources stating figures as high as 47% or 44.8%.  In contrast to these numbers a 2021 Rhode Island government fact sheet on New Shoreham (Block Island) reported that the percentage of American Indian residents was 0% and the number of Indigenous and Black owned homes on Block Island was also listed as 0% in the 2010 Socioeconomics of Sea Level Rise Fact sheet. In recent years, several tribes across the United States have successfully navigated the complex pathways to gain land back, setting a powerful precedent. The Wiyot Tribe in California regained 270 acres of their ancestral land, creating a new chapter for their community, conservation and ecology. Such outcomes demonstrate that with enough community mobilization, legal support, and government acknowledgment, similar success is within reach for the Manissean Tribe. Returning Block Island lands to the Manissean Tribe is not just a matter of justice—it is a chance to heal, restore, and rebuild a relationship with the land that centers indigenous knowledge and environmental stewardship. Land back rights for the Manissean tribe will mean a permanent place for their yearly Pow Wow, dedicated land for a Cultural Center open to the public, recreations of historical dwellings and settlements and housing and meeting places for the tribe members today.   By signing this petition, you lend your voice to a  cause that calls for a dynamic change to land conservation standards;  a shift to  center community care, economic justice and Indigenous sovereignty as pillars to successful land stewardship.  Please join us and help continue to make Block Island an example of what is possible when a community comes together to make meaningful change.  Sign this petition to support Native Land Back rights on Block Island for the Manissean Tribe.