Barrington resident Janine Wolf objected to the reading of a “Land Acknowledgement” statement at the beginning of the Feb. 6 Barrington Town Council meeting.

Toward the beginning of the council meeting, Barrington Town Council President Carl Kustell announced that he would proceed with the “Land Acknowledgement.” The statement serves as an acknowledgment that Barrington exists “in the ancestral homeland of the Pokanoket Tribe within the original territory of the Pokanoket Nation.”

The “Land Acknowledgement” is a standard feature at Barrington Town Council meetings. The motion to add the statement was passed in Dec. 2021, and former Councilor Jacob Brier first read it at the Jan. 2022 meeting. Council presidents have read it at the start of each meeting since then.

Wolf objected at the January meeting and again at the Feb. 6 council meeting. 

At the February meeting, Wolf said she objected to the statement because “it’s false” — she called it a pledge of indebtedness and said it has no place in Barrington Town Council meetings. 

Kustell quickly told Wolf that there would be an opportunity for public comment later in the council meeting. Wolf said she believed that prior to the acknowledgment was the appropriate time for her to voice her objection. 

Kustell said the council had previously voted to approve the reading of the “Land Acknowledgement” at the beginning of each meeting. The council president invited Wolf to share her objections during the public comment period later in the meeting, or she could also send an email to any of the councilors stating her objections. Kustell said he was open to discussing the matter, but “this is the procedure and we shall go forward.” 

When Wolf continued to talk, Kustell said she was out of order. Wolf replied that she believed the board was out of order. At that point, the discussion ended and Kustell proceeded to read the land acknowledgment. 

Wolf remained at the meeting — it lasted for more than four hours — and was one of the few people still in attendance when it was time for the public comment period. 

When Kustell opened the floor to comments, Wolf shared her opinion about the land acknowledgment. She said it was discouraging that residents had come together, hoping for less conflict this year, only to be met with a statement “that is thinly-veiled, but unmistakable race-shaming statement.”

Wolf shared additional comments with the council, referencing social justice movements and other issues. She later said she has lived within 15 miles of Barrington all her life and had never heard of the Pokanoket tribe until reading the council meeting’s agenda. 

“The land statement appears to be an attempt to demean and embarrass the people of this town, and to what end?” Wolf said. 

She spoke about alleged voting issues and said the land acknowledgment was irresponsible and disrespectful to the people who have traveled different paths to come to Barrington. Wolf then said the land acknowledgment statement should be shredded. 

A short time later, the meeting adjourned.