Native American/Indigenous Inclusion and Belonging
UIC is part of a university system that is located on stolen Native land in a city that is home to one of the largest urban Native American communities in the United States. As a public institution and part of a land-grant university system, UIC has an obligation to support Native American students and community. Land grant institutions were established through the Morrill Act of 1862 through which the federal government dispossessed Native People of their lands and gave these lands to 52 universities throughout the United States. The University of Illinois System received 477, 710 acres of land, representing the 4th largest land in acres of all land grant institutions (www.landgrabu.org/universities).
UIC was one of the first urban, public universities to support Native students through the creation of the Native American Support Program (visit: https://nasp.uic.edu/). In 2021, UIC released the Task Force Report (listed in the “UIC Reports” section below) of the Native Americans at UIC that addressed the question “What is the status of Native Americans on the UIC campus?” Findings from this report included gaps for Native people to access and attain a higher education, and a need for additional support for Native students at UIC.
The purpose of this initiative, Native American and Indigenous Inclusion and Belonging (NAIIB), is to provide a broader education to UIC’s leader’s and campus community, advocate for campus investment in building and maintaining positive relationships with local, national, and global Native American and Indigenous communities, and provide increased support, visibility and voice for Native American and Indigenous members of the UIC campus and communities.
Please visit the links below to learn more about Native and Indigenous peoples, the local Chicago Native American community, and resources for Native American students, faculty, and staff.
"Acknowledge" is a Verb Heading link
There has been a growing mainstream interest in Native American and Indigenous peoples and issues. One example of that interest is the increasing popularity and visibility of land acknowledgements. We called this educational campaign “Acknowledge” is a Verb to emphasize that a land acknowledgement is not just words that a person or group creates that will live on a plaque, a website, or a written page or be delivered as opening remarks at campus events. To acknowledge is to go beyond words; it requires action. This educational campaign is intended to serve as an invitation to all of UIC campus leadership, faculty, staff, and students to learn and grow.
Here you will find information and links to additional resources. We hope you will take time to learn more about Native Americans and Indigenous peoples. We are committed to supporting the growth of UIC’s understanding of land acknowledgement as one part of a larger set of actions and policies that are needed to support Native American and Indigenous members of our campus and local, national, and global communities. A land acknowledgement signals that a group is interested in supporting and creating opportunities for Native and Indigenous peoples. If there are no policies or supports behind the land acknowledgement, it serves as a hollow statement that can do more damage than good.
“Acknowledge” is a Verb seeks to increase awareness of Native American and Indigenous people, and we hope that it serves a larger goal of encouraging our campus to build supportive relationships with Native American communities and peoples, both on and off campus.
We welcome you to join us as part of a campus-wide community of partners! Please contact us to share your questions and feedback.
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Many people learned much of what they think about Native Americans from representations that present Native and Indigenous peoples in problematic and inaccurate ways. Extensive research examining common portrayals of Native Americans (e.g., sports team mascots), which often present them as “of the past,” or as “noble warriors” or “savages,” demonstrates that these representations promote harmful stereotypes and render Native Americans invisible in modern society. The experience of being either invisible or represented primarily or exclusively in stereotypical ways has negative consequences for Native American students’ psychological well-being, educational achievement, and sense of belonging in higher education settings.
It is important to be aware of how Native Americans are commonly portrayed, because these depictions shape how people will approach creating and implementing a land acknowledgement and the necessary supporting actions that accompany it. For example, a dominant misconception is that Native Americans live mostly or exclusively on tribal land. In fact, the majority of Native Americans live in urban or suburban communities. Taking our local context as an example, Chicago is home to one of the largest urban Native American communities in the United States. In order to recognize and partner with Native Americans and Indigenous peoples, which is a best practice in creating reciprocal relationships and land acknowledgements, it is important to begin with a shared understanding of Native Americans and Indigenous peoples as contributing members of our UIC and Chicago communities. It is imperative that we commit to learning about the history of Chicago as Native American homelands and the many ways that colonialism has shaped and continues to affect Native American survival, sovereignty, and ways of life across the United States. Finally, as we are part of a land grant university system, we must also educate ourselves about the theft of Native American land for the benefit of public higher education institutions and our unique responsibility to support Native American communities.
Many people who are not familiar with Native American and Indigenous issues struggle to find a place to start their learning. To provide an overview of some important context and issues relevant to Native Americans, which are highly relevant to considerations related to land acknowledgements and beyond, we created a two-part audio series to accompany the launch of “Acknowledge” is a Verb. These episodes and transcripts for each are linked below. In the sections below the episode links, we provide links to additional resources to help you explore the issues we discuss and topics extending beyond those we were able to cover in our conversations.
We will update this page with new information to continue to educate our campus community about Native American and Indigenous peoples, important issues they are facing, and how our campus is responding to meet the needs of Native American and Indigenous members of our UIC community and beyond.
Podcast Episodes Heading link
Native American and Indigenous Resources Heading link
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Native American Support Program- https://nasp.uic.edu/
Odehmenan Health Equity Center – https://vcha.uic.edu/units/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/odehmenan-health-equity-center/
Counseling Center- https://counseling.uic.edu
Wellness Center- https://wellnesscenter.uic.edu/about-us/
Campus Advocacy Network- https://can.uic.edu/about-us/vision-and-mission/
Resources for Undocumented Students- https://dream.uic.edu
Student Leadership and Student Engagement- https://dream.uic.edu
Women’s Leadership Resource Center- https://wlrc.uic.edu/about-us/
Law School Counseling Center- https://counseling.uic.edu
Tutoring- https://tutoring.uic.edu/tutoring-by-program/
UIC Basic Needs Insecurity Resources: https://dos.uic.edu/basic-needs-insecurity/
UIC Food & Nutrition Resources: https://dos.uic.edu/news-stories/food-nutrition-resources/
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Explore Student Organizations https://uic.campusgroups.com/web_app?id=24796&menu_id=84827&if=0&
- Native American and Indigenous Student Organization (NAISO)
- Indigenous Student Graduate Association
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In-state tuition offered for all Native American undergraduate students:https://today.uic.edu/uic-to-offer-in-state-tuition-to-students-from-any-of-the-573-tribal-nations-in-us/
College of Medicine extends the campus in-state tuition policy to Native American medical students: https://medicine.uic.edu/university-of-illinois-college-of-medicine-to-offer-in-state-tuition-for-native-american-students/
Identity Based Scholarships – https://scholarships.uic.edu/scholarships/external-scholarships/ethnicity-andor-nationality/
Office of Financial Aid – https://financialaid.uic.edu/
Other sources for scholarships and financial support specific to Native Americans
Undergraduate
American Indian College Fund- (https://collegefund.org/students/scholarships/)
American Indian Graduate Center (https://www.aigcs.org)
Administration for Native Americans – (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/about)
American Indian/Native American Scholarships – https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-type/minority-scholarships/american-indian-native-american-scholarships/
Society of Indian Psychologists – https://www.nativepsychs.org/
Native Forward Scholarships – https://www.nativeforward.org/about-us/
Udall Undergraduate Scholarship https://www.udall.gov/ourprograms/scholarship/scholarship.aspx
American Indian Association of Illinois – https://www.chicago-american-indian-edu.org/
NDN Collective- https://grants.ndncollective.org/
Native Americans in Philanthropy Youth Grantmakers Fund: https://nativephilanthropy.org/nyg/
Native American Journalists Association: https://najanewsroom.com/native-american-journalism-fellowship/
Society for American Archaeology Native American Scholarships: https://www.saa.org/career-practice/Scholarships-and-Grants/native-american-scholarships-fund
American Indian Education Fund Undergraduate Scholarship: https://pwnaonline.thinkific.com/courses/2023-aief-undergraduate-scholarship-application
Catching the Dream- https://catchingthedream.org/
Association of American Indian Affairs- https://www.indian-affairs.org/nativescholarship.html
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Graduate and Post-Graduate training and grants
Native Children’s Research Exchange Scholars Program (Graduate and postdoctoral): https://coloradosph.cuanschutz.edu/research-and-practice/centers-programs/caianh/training/ncre-scholars-program
Indigenous Wellness Research Institute: http://iwri.org/research-area/research-training/
American Philosophical Society, Phillips Fund for Native American Research:https://www.amphilsoc.org/grants/phillips-fund-native-american-research
American Philosophical Society, Native American Scholars Initiative: https://www.amphilsoc.org/native-american-scholars-initiative
Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, LIFT Early Career Support for Native Artists: https://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/programs/lift
Bush Foundation, Bush Fellowship: https://www.bushfoundation.org/bush-fellowship
Native American Journalists Association: https://najanewsroom.com/native-american-journalism-fellowship/
Society for American Archaeology Native American Scholarships: https://www.saa.org/career-practice/Scholarships-and-Grants/native-american-scholarships-fund
Native American and Indigenous Studies Association Fellowship: https://naisa.org/journal-nais/nais-fellowship/
American Indian Education Fund Graduate Scholarship: https://pwnaonline.thinkific.com/courses/2023-aief-graduate-scholarship-application
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Society for Indian Psychologists: https://www.nativepsychs.org/
Association of American Indian Physicians: https://www.aaip.org/
Advancing Indigenous People in STEM – https://conference.aises.org/
Native Americans in Higher Education: https://www.nativeamericansinhighered.com/
Advancing Chicano/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science: https://www.sacnas.org/
American Indian Higher Education Consortium: http://www.aihec.org/index.html
National Indian Education Association: https://www.niea.org/
American Indian Science and Engineering Society- https://www.aises.org/students/scholarships
Society of Women Engineers- http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/scholarships/
American Indian Education Fund: http://www.nativepartnership.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aief_home
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Local Native American Organizations:
American Indian Center – https://aicchicago.org/
Chi-Nations Youth Council- https://chinations.org/
Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative – https://chicagoaicc.com/
American Indian Association of Illinois https://www.chicago-american-indian-edu.org/chicago-american-indian-university-education/About-American-Indian-Association-Illinois.html
American Indian Health Service of Chicago – https://aihschgo.org/
Eastern Woodlands Office of Native American Programs – https://www.hud.gov/ewonap
Midwest Soarring Foundation – https://www.midwestsoarring.org/
Mitchell Museum of the American Indian – https://mitchellmuseum.org/
Newberry Library, D’ Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies – https://www.newberry.org/research/research-centers/mcnickle-center
St. Kateri Center of Chicago – https://www.stkatericenterchicago.org/
Trickster Art Gallery – https://www.tricksterculturalcenter.org/
California Indian Manpower Consortium – http://www.cimcinc.org/
Native American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois – https://www.nacc-il.org/
Chicago and UIC History/Context
Indigenous Tribes of Chicago – https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/diversity/chicago-indigenous
Land-Grab Universities Project – https://www.hcn.org/issues/52.4/indigenous-affairs-education-land-grab-universities
Native tribes have lost 99% of their land in the United States
Colonialism and Chicago – https://settlercolonialcityproject.org/
Local News Coverage – “We’re Still Here”: Chicago’s Native American Community
UIC Reports Heading link
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The Native American Task Force Report (Released in spring 2021) provides an overview of the history of Native American student support at UIC, current issues, and recommendations for action. Marking the 50th year anniversary of the Native American Support Program (NASP) at UIC, the Task Force was formed in 2019 to address the question: What is the status of Native Americans on the UIC campus? Equipped with identifying strengths, challenges, and areas of improvement, the goal was one of building an optimal learning environment for Indigenous students. We hope that the UIC community will use this report to understand and address the gaps in Native support that exist at this institution and increase efforts in strengthening and deepening the relationship between the University and Native communities, leading to a path where UIC can become a leader in the advancement of Native visibility and voice.
Media coverage of the report
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The report, “Adversity and Resiliency for Chicago’s First: The State of Racial Justice for American Indian Chicagoans,” was created in 2019 by UIC’s Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP). The report includes sections written by several Native American academics and professionals living in Chicago and details important issues affecting Native Americans locally. It provides critical information on Native history and current presence in Chicago to reveal systemic injustices. This collaborative effort brings to light Chicago’s history of racial exclusion in order to promote transformation of our city, including at UIC, into a more equitable environment for all citizens.
History
- Chicago Native people identified and developed important infrastructure and resources that would one day enable a thriving metropolis.
- Many of today’s major thoroughfares and train lines follow the pathways originally created by Native Americans navigating the areas vast marshlands and swamps.
- Today, over 100 Tribal Nations are represented by Native Americans in Chicago.
- Native Americans are misunderstood as people from the distant past.
- We must understand the long history of genocide and displacement while recognizing the manner in which Native Americans have persisted, live, make meaning, struggle, survive, and create.
Focus Areas
- Population
- Chicago represents the largest population of urban Native Americans in the Midwest
- Housing
- Half of Native Americans in Chicago are rent-burdened- paying more than 30% of their income in rent
- Housing discrimination for Native Americans exists in the form of being almost twice as likely to be denied a home loan as whites
- (Mis)Representations of American Indians in Popular Culture
- U.S culture depicts Native Americans as historical figures, erasing their importance as active members and contributors to contemporary society
- Research reveals that Native American imagery in sports, such as the Chicago Blackhawks logo, fosters negative cultural biases that increase discrimination
- Education
- Native American are less likely than whites to have a college degree
- Wage increases associated with a college degree are lower for Native Americnas compared to all other racial/ethnic groups in Chicago
- Over 1,000 Native Americans are presently enrolled in Chicago Public Schools (CPS)
- Economics
- Native Americans in Chicago have higher levels of unemployment and lower median household income than whites
- Native Americans are paid 20% less than similarly positioned whites in Chicago. This racial wealth gap is similar to Black residents
- Justice
- Adult incarceration rate for Native Americans in Chicago much higher than whites
- Women incarceration rate in Illinois is much higher for Native Americans than for women in all other racial/ethnic groups
IRRPP houses this and all of their reports related to the state of racial justice for local communities of color on their website.
Native American-Focused Further Reading and Educational Resources Heading link
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Decolonization is not a metaphor – Eve Tuck (Unangax̂) and K. Wayne Yang
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Are you planning on doing a land acknowledgement? By Debbie Reese (Námbe Pueblo)
The Northwestern University land acknowledgement webpage has an explanation for what a Land Acknowledgement is and links to additional information.
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/15/1160204144/indigenous-land-acknowledgments
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Most Native Americans live in cities , not reservations. Here are their stories
Native tribes have lost 99% of their land in the United States
Exposing How U.S Universities Profited From Indigenous Land
“We’re Still Here”: Chicago’s Native American Community
Land-Grab Universities Project
Local News Coverage: “We’re Still Here”: Chicago’s Native American Community
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All My Relations is a podcast created and hosted by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples. Episodes cover a variety of issues affecting Native and Indigenous communities.
This Land is a podcast written and hosted by Rebecca Nagle, Citizen of the Cherokee Nation. This podcast examines contemporary issues affecting Native American tribal sovereignty.
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Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples – Linda Tuhiwai-Smith (Māori)
When Uŋalaqłiq Danced: Stories of Strength, Suppression & Hope – Ayyu Qassataq (Iñupiaq)
First Alaskans Institute webpage
Indigenizing Education in Alaska with Professor Graham Smith Māori – discussion on development of the Māori education movement in New Zealand
Indigenous Self-Determination Over Education – Conscientization dialogue with Professor Graham Smith (Māori) and Bentham Ohia ((Māori)
Stop Talking: Indigenous Ways of Teaching and Learning and Difficult Dialogues in
Indigenizing Education in Alaska with Professor Graham Smith Māori – discussion on development of the Māori education movement in New Zealand
Indigenous Self-Determination Over Education – Conscientization dialogue with Professor Graham Smith (Māori) and Bentham Ohia ((Māori)
Decolonizing Trauma Work: Indigenous Stories and Strategies – Renee Linklater
Native American and Indigenous Studies at Penn
Indigenous Children’s Survivance in Public Schools (Indigenous and Decolonizing Studies in Education) – Leilani Sabzalian (Sugpiaq)
Decolonizing Research: Indigenous Storytelling as Methodology, ed. Archibald, Lee-Morgan, De Santalo; foreword by Linda Smith
Education Indigenous to Place: Western Science Meets Native Reality Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley, Ray Barnhardt
First Nations and Higher Education: The Four R’s – Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, Responsibility V. Kirkness and R. Barnhardt
Alaska Native Cultures and Issues: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions. Ed. L. Roderick
“With a Vision Beyond Our Immediate Needs: Oral Traditions in an Age of Literacy,” Elsie Mather