Dear Beacons,
As we observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day Monday, I ask that you take a moment to reflect on the lived experience of Native and Indigenous peoples, locally and globally.
Numbering 370 to 500 million, Native and Indigenous peoples represent most of the world’s cultural diversity and speak the majority of the world’s 7,000 languages. Native and Indigenous communities bring unique perspectives and generations of knowledge that can inform solutions to many of the challenges facing our planet today – on climate change, agriculture, traditional health care, and more.
Yet, despite their rich histories and contributions, Native and Indigenous people have for centuries been victimized by structural violence, the deliberate spread of disease, and theft and destruction of property. Forced labor, slavery, forced displacement and appropriation of natural resources have been commonplace. And commodification of land and labor gave birth to new economic forms based on the violent extraction of profit from humankind and nature. Around the world, extreme poverty and a lack of public support remain persistent challenges for meaningful participation of Native and Indigenous people in decisions that affect them.
As a leading anti-racist institution, we must do better. UMass Boston must model a culture of belonging and deepen our support for Native American and Indigenous communities. This means being a place where Native American and Indigenous students, faculty, and staff can feel comfortable expressing their indigenous identities, in whatever ways it is meaningful for them.
So, as we celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day, we stand proud with members of our Native and Indigenous community in their efforts to secure equality and justice. And, of course, we express our gratitude to the Massachusett people on whose territory UMass Boston has stood for nearly 50 years.
The university also acknowledges and takes seriously its responsibility to educate our community about the people whose lands we live on. In that spirit, below are several educational opportunities for you to learn more:
- Spend time learning about the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag by visiting their website, which provides rich historical and current information about the tribe.
- Watch Ohke Kah Nippi Mehquontamūonk (“Earth and Water Memory”), a short film directed by Mar Parilla, which features original dance, music, and storytelling by a trio of local Indigenous dancers. The film can be viewed online or on the ground floor of University Hall where this “dance mural” was permanently installed earlier this year. Note that this is our second permanent installation of commissioned Indigenous art on the campus. The Robert Peters mural in the residence halls was the first.
- Watch Ecologies of Acknowledgment, a 10-minute video created by artists Sarah Kanouse and Nicholas Brown and displayed at the University Hall Art Gallery as part of a 2019 art exhibit called Local Ecologies. The project asks what it means to accept the relationships and responsibilities that come with living on occupied land.
- Participate in Indigenous Boston Harbor, a free boat tour that is sponsored by Arts on the Point and the University Hall Gallery and led by members of the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag. The tour, occurring twice later this month, focuses on Indigenous relationships – past, present, and future – with Boston Harbor and the Harbor Islands. Register here.
I hope you will take the time to educate yourself about our local Indigenous community using one or more of these resources.
In solidarity,
Marcelo Suárez-Orozco
Chancellor
