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[source: NativeNews; Sun, 20 Feb 2000 09:33:07]

From: TWOBEARS02@xxx.xxx

A Statement from the Native American Community
Saturday, February 19, 2000

The struggles of Native Americans are not new. Since European contact, we
have fought to retain our dignity in the face of oppression and assimilation.
Sadly, we continue to struggle at the University of Michigan. In 1972,
courageous members of our community informed Michigamua and the University of
Michigan about how their actions and inactions demean our personal dignity
and undermine our culture through perversion of our religious practices. Our
concerns were reiterated in 1978 and again in 1986. In 1989, an agreement was
signed between Michigamua, the University, and a Native American complainant,
in which Michigamua promised "to eliminate all references to Native American
culture and psuedo-culture and extensions and parodies thereof." Realizing
that the agreement had not been upheld, Native American concerns were
reiterated in 1997. Our struggle continues today.

In 1902, when Michigamua started "playing Indian," our parents, grandparents,
aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, and sisters were being forcibly taken from
our homes and communities, placed in boarding schools and white homes to be
stripped of our "heathen" culture, whitewashed, and shamed into thinking that
the traditional ways of our ancestors were inferior. We were punished for
speaking our languages.  Until 1979, we were legally forbidden to practice
our own religious beliefs while Michigamua performed mock rituals on the lawn
of the University President's house. Today, Michigamua continues to perform
rituals and naming rituals that insult the ceremonies that we and many of our
communities hold central to our identity today.

Universities exist to educate people. The University of Michigan and
Michigamua claim to train "no less than the leaders and the best." The
promotion of discriminatory practices in antithetical to education. In 1989,
Michigamua and the University agreed that the practices were offensive. And
yet, despite agreements and dialogues with the Native community, both have
allowed the cultural insensitivity, ridicule of a culture, and stereotyping
of Native Americans to persist. They make light of the struggles we have
faced as a people.

The situation is intolerable and inexcusable especially since a land grant by
our ancestors in 1817 led to the creation of the University of Michigan.

Now, Michigamua tells us through Nick Delgado that they want "to propagate
healing." If Michigamua insincere about a healing process, we suggest the
following:

To Michigamua:
  *  Apologize to the Native American community for insulting our cultures and
undermining our personal dignity and to the university community for
propagating a hostile environment for diversity.
  *  Abide by the 1989 agreement by ending all practices which ridicule native
American culture. Such practices include but are not limited to: "Indian"
names, Bear and Deer meat feasts, pipe ceremonies, and the name Michigamua.
  *  Vacate the Tower and hold open meetings to show that culturally offensive
practices do not continue.
  *  End the policy of tapping administration, faculty, and staff as a way to
ensure that Michigamua does not receive benefits that other student groups
are denied.

To the University Administration:
  *  Apologize to the Native American community for allowing Michigamua to
continue its cultural degradations despite being informed of the situation on
numerous occasions.
  *  Sever all affiliation and privileges currently given to Michigamua.
  *  Apologize for the harm done to the entire university community through
informed inaction and complacency toward Michigamua's activities,
acknowledging that such inaction has made a farce of the educative process
and of diversity initiatives.
  *  Establish a policy, which indicates that administration, faculty, and
staff should not participate in Michigamua or be affiliated in any way with
the group through "honorary" membership since it clearly establishes a
conflict of interest with supposed university goals of education and
diversity.
  *  Agree that no action, legal or academic, will be taken against any
student in connection with or arising out of any act, omission, or event
related to the occupation of the Tower.

We are not the first to fight this battle. We wish to be the last. We do not
want the next generation to have to fight this battle again. We stand united
in this fight as a Native American community. We are grateful for the
sacrifices made by the Students of Color Coalition in trying to peacefully
address this injustice. They have taught us all the meaning of humility and
integrity.
 

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