Writing Heritage in a Land of Immigrants

I am writing a lot about heritage in urban parks these days. Because the parks I am working with are on or near the Great Lakes, I have been learning a lot more about this incredible system of freshwater...the largest in the world. The Great Lakes are an amazing inheritance for those who live near them, but they have not always been treated (or recognized) as such. I wrote this piece a while back and to be honest, I felt a bit weird about it after. I questioned my stance advocating for inheritance of place as one of the millions of Americans whose ancient ancestors do not lie in this soil. I am an individual of full European descent. Who am I to claim that all living in Western New York, European and otherwise, are the inheritors of this land? How do I write about heritage in a land of immigrants?

Read More