We acknowledge that St. James is located on the unceded traditional territory of the Yelamu, a local tribe of Ramaytush Ohlone peoples of the San Francisco peninsula. Yelamu families lived in the area now known as San Francisco long before California was Spain, Mexico or the United States. Colonization, which is ongoing and still adversely affects the indigenous people from the Bay Area, resulted in the elimination of the Yelamu tribe. As the original stewards of this land, the Ramaytush Ohlone understood the interconnectedness of all things and maintained harmony with nature for millennia. We pay our respects to the Ancestors, Elders and Relatives of the Ramaytush Community and affirm their sovereign rights as First Peoples. Creator, you made all people of every land. It is our responsibility to give thanks and respect to those who first occupied this land we are upon. We give thanks to the Ramaytush Ohlone, the first people of this land. We offer our respect to those ancestors who may be interred in this land. We are also thankful for the gifts of the people of the land. Creator let us be of good mind to reconcile the mistreatment of this land and of those who have been displaced. With thankful and respectful hearts, we pray in your Name, your son the Peacemaker and the Sacred Spirit. Amen.