this region was a significant site of Black spatial aspiration, serving as a major hub for the Underground Railroad and a terminus for the Great Migration. In addition to a centuries-old existence at the intersection of multiple Native and Black highways, Chicago sits at the near-confluence of three major rivers (Mississippi, Chicago, and Des Plaines), and rests at the mouth of Lake Michigan. The prairies of this land -- which used to contribute to the continent's largest continuous ecosystem -- are resilient, despite constant threat of removal. FORCE! an opera is grateful to the land and its stewards (past, present, and future) for providing a haven for our work of repair and reimagining. As a constellation, we continue to work toward a more balanced relationship with this place and its people.