Native American groups join the call for reparations and target colleges who ... trends now
Native American groups are now joining the call for reparations to be made after hundreds of tribes had land taken from them by 'land-grab universities and colleges' across the country more than 150 years ago.
An estimated 10.7 million acres of land was taken from 250 tribes following the signing of the Morrill Act by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862.
This law converted tribal lands into initial funds for higher education.
Institutions including the likes of the University of Minnesota received 94,440 acres of land, while Cornell University in New York received more than 987,000 acres across 15 states - all at prices far below a fair market value.
Now, as several states and cities consider reparations for black Americans, the movement is serving as impetus for Native American tribes who also believe they also deserve reparations.
Native American groups are joining the movement to demand reparations after numerous tribes had their land taken by 'land-grab universities and colleges'. Pictured, a group of Native American activists and supporters march in Long Beach to support efforts to protect Puvungna land on CSULB (file photo from 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
'You have these schools that have tens of millions of dollars at their disposal, but they are not looking at any ways they can improve living situations for Indigenous peoples today,' said An Garagiola, a descendant of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa to the Washington Post.
'Their existence as institutions, as schools of learning, are only there today because of everything that was taken.'
In response to the demands for reparations, colleges and universities across the nation are now grappling with the need to make amends.
Cornell University, for example, has begun a research project to account for the land it acquired from Native communities.
In 2021, the University of Wisconsin at Madison displayed the flag of the Ho-Chunk Nation on campus to acknowledge the land taken from the tribe.
Institutions including the likes of the University of Minnesota, pictured, received 94,440 acres of land
n 2021, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, pictured, displayed the flag of the Ho-Chunk Nation on campus to acknowledge the land taken from the tribe
Cornell University in New York, pictured, received more than 987,000 acres across 15 states - all at prices far below a fair market value
Out west, the University of California has promised to offer free tuition to select Native American students as part its movement to reclaim tribal lands.
At the University of Minnesota, the tribes advocating for reparations include the Red Lake Nation and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, however no trbe has so far managed to come up with a specific dollar amount for which they seek
