Schoolcraft College has recently approved a new land acknowledgement that recognizes that indigenous peoples originally occupied the land the College currently sits on.
The acknowledgement, approved by the Board of Trustees at its Jan. 29 meeting, states the land the College occupies was the ancestral territory of the several Native American tribes and recognizes them as the original owners.
The land acknowledgement reads as follows:
“At Schoolcraft College, we stand together to honor the past, embrace the present and cultivate a brighter future. We acknowledge that the land in which the College occupies is the ancestral territory of the Potawatomi Tribes, Indian Nations, and all Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy, including Ojibwe and Odawa peoples. In particular, Schoolcraft College resides on the land that was ceded to the United States government in the Treaty of Detroit of 1807.”
The land acknowledgement serves as a formal statement to recognize the history of the land and the relationship it holds with indigenous peoples. The statement will be listed on the Schoolcraft College website, as well as on a plaque that will be placed on campus later this year.
The decision to acknowledge the Native peoples that originally occupied the nearby lands follows traditions at other institutions of higher education to observe this region’s history.
“Part of being a respectful member of the community is recognizing where we come from and what was here before us,” said Dr. Glenn Cerny, President of Schoolcraft College. “This land acknowledgement shows our community we are working to better understand our history and the people that lived here before us.”
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About Schoolcraft College
Schoolcraft College is a public community college, offering traditional classes as well as distance learning opportunities at www.schoolcraft.edu. The college enrolls more than 30,000 students each year in both credit programs and personal and professional development courses. The college has over 130 programs leading to a skills certificate, certificate, associate degree, or post-associate certificate, plus a Bachelor of Science degree in Culinary and Dietary Operations Management. Students can take advantage of other bachelor’s programs offered by several university partners onsite or transfer credits to other four-year institutions, saving time and money in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. Learn more at www.schoolcraft.edu.
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