Native American groups are now joining the call for redress after land was taken from hundreds of tribes by “land-grabbing universities and colleges” across the country more than 150 years ago.
After President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act in 1862, an estimated 10.7 million hectares of land was taken from 250 tribes.
This act converted tribal land into initial funds for higher education.
Institutions like the University of Minnesota received 94,440 acres of land, while New York’s Cornell University received more than 987,000 acres across 15 states – all at prices well below fair market value.
Now, with several states and cities considering reparations for black Americans, the movement serves as an impetus for Native American tribes who also believe they deserve reparations.
Native American groups are joining the movement to demand redress after numerous tribes were stripped of their land by “land-grabbing universities and colleges.” Pictured is a group of Native American activists and supporters marching in Long Beach in support of efforts to protect Puvungna land on CSULB (file photo May 2021)
As discussions about reparations for black Americans gain traction in several states and cities, the movement is also inspiring Native American tribes to assert their right to reparations
“They have these schools that have tens of millions of dollars, but they’re not looking for ways to improve the lives of indigenous people today,” An Garagiola, a descendant of Chippewa’s Bois Forte Band, told the Washington Post.
“Their existence as institutions, as schools of learning, exists today only because everything has been taken away.”
In response to calls for redress, colleges and universities across the country are now grappling with the need to make redress.
Cornell University, for example, has started a research project to map the land it has acquired from indigenous communities.
In 2021, the University of Wisconsin at Madison displayed the flag of the Ho Chunk Nation on campus to recognize land taken from the tribe.
Institutions such as the University of Minnesota pictured received 94,440 acres of land
In 2021, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, pictured, displayed the flag of the Ho Chunk Nation on campus to recognize land wrested from the tribe
Pictured, Cornell University in New York received more than 987,000 acres across 15 states – all at prices well below fair market value
In the West, the University of California has pledged to offer free tuition to select Native American students as part of its movement to reclaim tribal lands.
Tribes at the University of Minnesota that are campaigning for redress include the Red Lake Nation and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. So far, however, no tribe has been able to set a specific dollar amount for which they are seeking a refund.
The challenge is to quantify the extent of the damage caused while claiming that universities have a responsibility to deal with the uncomfortable story.
“We welcome the opportunity to explore the history of the university.” “It is important that we work with tribal nations to chart our course from here,” said Janie Mayeron, Chair of the University of Minnesota Council of Regency, at a Board meeting in May.
Indigenous people dance at Columbia University’s 11th annual Pow Wow during Earth Day celebrations in New York in April
At Cornell, the university recognizes its historic role in taking tribal lands.
“Cornell recognizes our central place in this story. The college works to build and maintain relationships with North American Indigenous nations and communities, including establishing educational programs and “partnerships specifically designed to meet the needs of Indigenous students,” Joel Malina, vice president of university relations at Cornell, said in a statement .
The United States has tried to make amends to Native Americans in the past.
In 1946, Congress established the Indian Claims Commission to compensate federally recognized tribes for stolen land, with a total payment of $1.3 billion.
A 1980 Supreme Court ruling also ordered the United States to pay more than $105 million to the Sioux nation for the illegal confiscation of their land.
However, many Native American leaders demanded the full return of the sacred land in lieu of monetary compensation.
The ice cream brand, which has long wooed progressive audiences, called on the US to return “stolen Indigenous land.”
The issue of returning land to Native American tribes was also raised by Ben & Jerry’s last week.
In a July 4 tweet, the company sparked outrage when it urged the United States to return “stolen Indigenous land,” beginning with the return of South Dakota’s Mount Rushmore to the Lakota Sioux tribe.
The company, which was founded by longtime Bernie Sanders allies Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenwood but has since been sold to British group Unilever, tweeted the news to its 494,000 followers.
“On this July 4th, it is high time we recognized that the US lives on stolen Indigenous land and pledged to return it,” the company’s official statement read, before proposing to restore Mount Rushmore to its original return to owner.
Ben & Jerry’s cites treaties that allowed the tribes to keep Mount Rushmore and a Supreme Court decision that ruled that the land had indeed been stolen from the Lakota tribe after they staged a sit-in in 1970
The company said the Lakota Sioux tribe referred to Mount Rushmore as Tunkasila Sakpe and the tribe considers the land sacred
The tweet immediately sparked outrage on social media, with many angry customers using the hashtag #boycottbenandjerrys to describe the news as anti-American sentiment on a day dedicated to celebrating the United States.
The company said the Lakota Sioux tribe referred to Mount Rushmore as Tunkasila Sakpe and the tribe considers the land sacred.
Ben & Jerry’s also cites treaties from the 1920s that allowed the tribes to keep Mount Rushmore and a Supreme Court decision that found the land was indeed stolen from the Lakota tribe after they staged a sit-in in 1970 had organized.
The court ruled that the Lakota Sioux were due $105 million, but the tribes refused to pay and demanded the return of their lands.