土著遗产月2022

Going beyond land acknowledgements for 土著文化月

11月. 1, 2022

Metropolitan State University of 丹佛 recognizes that its campus sits upon the ancestral homelands of the Tsitsistas “Cheyennes” and Hinónóéí “Arapahos.”

That land acknowledgement appears in the University’s 2030年策略计划 and versions of it appear at campus events and on the 密歇根州立大学丹佛分校网站, further recognizing that 48 different Native Nations have called the land of the Auraria Campus home.

While it is important that we acknowledge the original inhabitants of the land where our campus sits, universities can go beyond acknowledgements and actively serve modern-day Native Americans who are underrepresented on campuses across the country. While 41% of Americans aged 18-24 are enrolled in higher education, that figure drops to just 24% for college-aged Native Americans.

Land acknowledgements are a starting point, but history should do more than inform – it should also influence our actions and inspire us to do better. 土著文化月 in 11月ember is a good time to assess how we’re honoring Native peoples.

在密歇根州立大学丹佛分校，皇冠官网网站工作到 make college more accessible to Native students this year by ensuring the cost of their tuition and mandatory fees is fully covered through a combination of federal, state and institutional grants. This semester, the University has awarded Indigenous and Native Peoples’ Grants 致63名学生.

一个这样的学生, 伊莎贝拉守夜, is a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation majoring in Biochemistry who plans to go to medical school. Isabella was planning to pay her way to a school further away from home, but by choosing 密歇根州立大学丹佛 and having her tuition covered she was able to live at home, keep her job in the health care industry and focus on her studies. She credits the one-on-one support of our 同侪辅导计划 with helping her get acclimated to college in her first semester, and I’m confident she’ll be very successful on campus and in her future in the medical field.

To further aid students like Isabella, we hired a temporary full-time program coordinator to work directly with students and applicants and organize a Native Community Advisory Council. We want 密歇根州立大学丹佛 to be a welcoming place for Native students where they feel fully supported throughout their academic journey with us, and we’re continually working to improve in that regard.

密歇根州立大学丹佛分校有一些 伟大的计划 scheduled for 11月ember such as a talk on “the Truth about Thankstaking” and a meet and greet with Native Indigenous Program Coordinator Deserea Richards. 谢谢你 Native Indigenous Student Alliance for teaming up with student support departments such as our Center for 多元文化的接触 and Inclusion to deliver these great events and build community for our students.

Native students are an important part of the Roadrunner family, and we’re proud to invest in your success!

真诚地,

珍妮·戴维森博士.D.
丹佛州立大学校长