The "Land Transfer" Movement Gets Real... Like Truly

Condo dwellers in an upscale neighborhood in Seattle socializing on their roof:
 
“This is the life.”
 
“What a wonderful, peaceful part of town.”
 
“So great that we can enjoy it together.”
 
Suddenly, from down in the street:
 
“Hey guys, do you know that you are living in a historically black neighborhood right now?” 
 
“Do you know that before your white a$$ came here this was all black people?”
 
“Do you know that people like you came in here and basically bought all the land from the black people less than what it was worth, kicked them out so you could live here? Do you know that? Cause if you don’t, now you f**kin do so do something about it.”
 
“Symbolic gestures? We don’t want that s#!t anymore, we want land…give back the land to the people that need it,”
 
“Give up your house. Give black people back their homes. You’re sitting there comfortably—comfortable as f**k as if you didn’t help gentrify this neighborhood.”
 
“Gentrifiers get the f**k out and give us our s s#!t back…Give it back! We’re coming for you. Reparations time.”
 
Condo owners to each other: “I guess we had better leave and give these homes and land back to the black people.”
 
One year later, the new condo owners to each other while partying on the same roof:
 
“Hey, this is really nice s#!t.”
 
“What a happening ‘hood.”
 
“So cool that we could guilt those white folks into giving it back so we could hang up here together.”
 
Suddenly, from down in the street:
 
“Hey bros, do you know that you are living in a historic settlement area right now?” 
 
“Do you know that before your rears came here this was all farmers, loggers, lumber mill owners and workers and maritime folks who risked everything to make new lives here and establish the city?”
 
“Do you know that people like you came in here as employees of the shipyards our ancestors built and gave them jobs so you could live here? Do you know that? Cause if you don’t, now you f**kin do so do something about it.”
 
“Symbolic gestures? We don’t want that s#!t anymore, we want land…give back the land to the people that established this town.”
 
“Give up your house. Give people back their homes. You’re sitting there comfortably—comfortable as f**k as if you didn’t come in here and prosper off what others built.”
 
“Activists, get the f**k out and give us our s s#!t back…Give it back! We’re coming for you.”
 
New condo owners to each other: “I guess we had better leave and give these homes and land back to the people whose ancestors helped establish it.”
 
 One year later, the new new condo owners at a get-together on the roof:
 
“These really are fantastic digs.”
 
“And every night it’s party-hearty.”
 
“Hey. We deserve it. Our families built this town.”
 
Suddenly, from down in the street:
 
“Hey bros, do you know that you are living in an area that used to belong to the Suquamish and Duwamish peoples?” 
 
“Do you know that before your white a$$ came here, the Duwamish people had lived here continuously going all the way back to 8000 BC – 10,000 years ago? Like since the glaciers?”
 
“Yeah. Ever hear of Chief Seattle? He was one of our people. Do you know that? Cause if you don’t, now you f**kin do so do something about it.”
 
“Symbolic gestures? We don’t want that s#!t anymore, we want land…give back the land to the people who first lived here.”
 
“Give up your house. Give people back their homes. You’re sitting there comfortably—comfortable as f**k as if you didn’t come in here and steal our land with your fake treaties.”
 
“Settlers, get the f**k out and give us our s s#!t back…Give it back! We’re coming for you.”
 
New condo owners to each other: “I guess we had better leave and give these homes and land back to the people who first lived here. They have the real claim.”
 
One year later, the new new new condo owners having their own party on the roof:
 
“It’s about time Native peoples got some justice – and a nice place to live.”
 
“This really is a nice neighborhood.”
 
“And we really were here first. So it should be ours.”
 
Suddenly, from down in the street:
 
“Hey, my children. Did you know that before your people settled in this area, someone else was here? Or maybe you’re not familiar with the passage, ‘In the beginning, God created….’ I seem to recall something about a Flood sometime after.”
 
“In other words, before you get too comfortable, remember: there’s always a Prior Claim.”
 
 Photo Credit: Seattle Municipal Archives (CC BY 2.0)