Native Americans request 'U' changes

Despite his meeting with University administrators last Friday, Joe Reilly, an SNRE junior, said he isn't sure action will be implemented regarding the demands of the Native American Students Association.

"Since the early 1970s, the administration has been cooperative on the surface," Reilly said. "But as far as implementing structural changes, there has only been minimal action taken."

NASA's demands include the establishment of a strong Native American studies program, the termination of University support for the senior honor society Michigamua and formal recognition of tribal land influence in the establishment of the University.

Provost Nancy Cantor said she believes last week's meeting with NASA representatives was very productive.

"We're going to get to work now and take the necessary steps," Cantor said. "We are very concerned."

Cantor said she could not comment on the specific steps the administration hopes to initiate.

Rackham second-year student Andrew Adams said the association hopes the University expands its studies of Native Americans. But in order for this to come to fruition, he said, the American culture department must be granted the freedom to hire its own faculty.

According to Adams, American culture professors are currently recruited through the English and history departments, which do not guarantee hired professors will teach Native courses in addition to their English and history teaching obligations.

"If the American culture department is able to hire its own faculty, Native American professors can be recruited and guaranteed that they will teach specific Native Studies courses," Adams said.

Another aspect of NASA's demands claims Michigamua stereotypes and misrepresents Native Americans in the structure of its organization.

The association said that historically, members of the society made a mockery of the Native American culture by painting themselves with grease paint and donning cowhide breech clothes and turkey feathers. The society also erected its own totem pole.

Adams said Michigamua should divorce itself from the name or the University should terminate support for the society.

"The University should withdraw support for Michigamua. The name is inherently racist and the society has a racist history," Adams said. "The society represents disrespect for the Native culture."

Another demand is for the University to publicly acknowledge the historical influence of the Native land donation which led to the establishment of the University.

"We want a public display of that donation - a statue or monument, in a high-traffic area on Central Campus," Adams said.

According to the Treaty of Fort Meigs, the Objibwa, Odawa and Potawatomie tribes granted land to the American government in 1817 in order for the government to create a college in the Detroit area. In exchange, the government promised to allow Native students admission into the college.

Native American undergraduates enrolled in fall 1998 numbered 170 out of 23, 977. Despite the low numbers, Reilly said he thought the University would have recognized the presence of Native Americans during the past 30 years.

"The University does not seem to embrace that presence," Reilly said. "I would have thought these things would have been dealt with a long time ago."

But Reilly said he has not lost his optimism, explaining that he still sees the potential for change.

"I feel that potentially it could be a very encouraging situation since there is a prospect for continued dialogue on these issues," Reilly said.

04-20-99