Minneapolis College recognizes that it was built on and currently occupies Dakhóta land. We also recognize that the state of Minnesota is the ancestral and contemporary homeland of the Dakhóta and Ojibwe Native Nations. We acknowledge that this land was obtained through violent acts of genocide, displacement, forced removal, and broken treaties.
We understand that sovereign Native nations suffered terrible racial, social and spiritual disparities through these acts of settler colonialism and that, despite these atrocious acts, Indigenous nations have continued the struggle to rise above mere survival and to honor the sacred earth and their ancestors. Minneapolis College understands the privileges and benefits that we have been afforded from the past and present acts of violence, land theft and attempted cultural genocide.
However, acknowledgment without action does not resolve the systemic oppression, injustice and historical trauma faced by Indigenous communities every day. As an institution, we are committed to reconciling these acts by taking direct action in the decolonization of institutional structures that promote injustices, inequities and other forms of white supremacy and systemic racism.
As a call to action, we invite you to further investigate the realities of this history and we therefore personally commit to the advancement of our Equity Statement.
We acknowledge this painful history, and we honor and respect the 574 federally recognized Native Nations that have been resilient and remain connected to the land today. We ask that you join us in a moment of silence as we reflect and reconnect to the sacred land which we occupy.
