Come join us for an action on the diag at 5pm. The walkout is for Indigenous People's Day, and is speaking out against the injustices against indigenous people both here and around the world. We will be situating this rally and its demands around Ann Arbor, and will also give people a historical understanding of the university's exploitation of native communities in the area. Drawing from Students4Justice's demands:
Addressing the University of Michigan's history with Indigenous peoples. We wish to highlight this history and uplift the voices of Indigenous people in our work in this campaign.
From our demands:
"A formal recognition of the university's unacceptable history with Indigenous people (specifically the University of Michigan's relationship with Anishinaabe people), followed by a commitment to reconciling. This includes the 1817 Fort Meigs Treaty, michigauma, etc.
This University will never improve its relationship with Indigenous students or communities until it publically addresses and recognizes its unacceptable past with Indigenous communities in and around the state of Michigan. The original and true history needs to be told, Native students need to be valued and supported here, and the campus climate has to change in order to recruit Native students to come here." The university must work on three specific prongs: Recognition, Retention, and Recruitment.
We also want to be in solidarity with the Black and Latinx students who have been impacted by the racist incidents on campus both this year, and in years past. Demands from students for accountability have often gone unaddressed and no tangible change has been made by the administration.
This rally will point to historic sites of injustice and resistance on this campus, and make connections to resistance against colonialism, fascism, and white supremacy around the world.
Please share widely and show up!