Dear Docent Family –
The first Thanksgiving in 1621 was to celebrate the successful corn harvest in the Plymouth colony. This success was a direct result of advice received from Native Americans. The local Wampanoag tribe was invited to join in the celebration. This letter is not meant to be a history lesson, so enough said, but as we are paying closer attention to the local Native Americans who predated us and still live here in Chicago, it is important to be reminded that Native Americans have been with us since our first Thanksgiving.
Too often, I think our “thanksgiving” is a broad and vague “thanks for all I have” kind of sentiment. I have more recently tried to approach thanksgiving as truly giving thanks to those for whom I am grateful. Of course, I am talking about my CAC colleagues.
CAC Staff…..thank you. Thank you for listening, for always being patient. The docent corps is a smart and savvy crew. We are a group of leaders. Sometimes I think we have too many leaders and not enough followers, so again, thank you for letting us lead and helping us get done what we need to do.
CAC Guest Services Volunteers…..thank you. Thank you for being that “first face” that our visitors see. Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm. Thanks for taking the time to understand what each part of the organization does and communicating it to our guests so they can have the best possible experience with the CAC.
CAC Education Guides…..thank you. Years ago, before you came upon the scene at CAC, I gave “field trip tours.” I know how challenging kids (and sometimes the chaperones) can be! It is the youth that we must train to love and enjoy our built environment. It has always been a part of the CAC’s mission to educate, and I thank you for your commitment to do just that.
CAC Exhibit Hosts……thank you. Thank you for your commitment to answering questions for those who wander our gallery space. I have witnessed many of you in action. It is a difficult, sometimes touchy thing to approach a stranger to ask if they have a question. Some will seek you out, but your ability to search the faces and determine who has that unasked question is so impressive. I have enjoyed hanging out in the volunteer library with you before and after your shifts and my tours. I look forward to doing that more in the future.
CAC docents…..thank you. The support you give to me, to each other, the folks listed above, and the organization itself is inspiring. Stay strong as we continue to re-launch all our tours and stay dedicated to helping others discover why design matters. You are truly the best, and I have been so lucky to be a part of this organization with you.
And to those of you who fill more than one of these roles listed above, I say, “Well, you are truly an overachiever!”
So, thank you all. Remember this thanksgiving to celebrate each other, the peoples that were here before us and still live among us, and the young people, of all backgrounds who will inherit our great city.
Again, thank you.
Kent Foutty
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It occurs to me that on tours, we should give a “land acknowledgement” since several other cultural institutions, such as the Harris Theatre and the Art Institute have land acknowledgements — the Harris gives theirs before their performances.
I’m imagining something like::
“CAC tours take place on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. It was also a site of trade, travel, gathering and healing for more than a dozen other Native tribes.”
There is a docent/staff/volunteer team working on this.
Thanks, Ken, for your service to the CAC and docent community!
Thank you, Kent, for your thoughtful letters which I always enjoy reading! And for everything else that you do for the CAC! Heart-felt thank you! 😀