in t he spir i t of b u il ding a be t t e r f u t u r e a nd he a l ing ,
I w o u l d l ik e to ta k e a f e w m om e n ts to a c k now l e d g e
t h at t he u ic r e side s on t he t r a di t ion a l t e r r i tor ie s of t he
t hr e e f ir e pe opl e s — Oj ibw e , Odawa a nd b ode wa dm i ,
t hi s a r e a wa s a l s o a si t e of t r a de , g at he r ing , a nd he a l ing
f or m or e t h a n a d o z e n ot he r n at i v e t r ibe s .
What's more, the state of Illinois is currently home to more than 75,000 tribal members
and the Chicagoland area is currently home to one of the largest and most diverse
urban Native communities in the U.S.
We recognize that Indigenous peoples are the traditional stewards of the land that we now occupy,
living here long before Chicago was a city and still thriving here today.
As we work together today on these territories, and in the year ahead, we must remember
our responsibility, especially as a land-grant and Asian American and Native American
Pacific Islander-serving institution, Hispanic Serving Institution, and Minority Serving Institution,
to find ways to right the historic wrongs of colonization and state violence,
and to build bridges with, and support, Indigenous communities' struggles
for self-determination and sovereignty.
