海角社区

Nov. 1, 2022

Metropolitan State University of Denver recognizes that its campus sits upon the ancestral homelands of the Tsitsistas 鈥淐heyennes鈥� and Hin贸n贸茅铆 鈥淎rapahos.鈥�

That land acknowledgement appears in the University鈥檚 2030 Strategic Plan and versions of it appear at campus events and on the 海角社区 website, further recognizing that 48 different Native Nations have called the land of the Auraria Campus home.

While it is important that we acknowledge the original inhabitants of the land where our campus sits, universities can go beyond acknowledgements and actively serve modern-day Native Americans who are underrepresented on campuses across the country. While 41% of Americans aged 18-24 are enrolled in higher education, that figure drops to just .

Land acknowledgements are a starting point, but history should do more than inform 鈥� it should also influence our actions and inspire us to do better. in November is a good time to assess how we鈥檙e honoring Native peoples.

At 海角社区, we worked to this year by ensuring the cost of聽their tuition and mandatory fees聽is fully covered through a combination of federal, state and institutional grants. This semester, the University has awarded Indigenous and Native Peoples鈥� Grants to 63 students.

One such student, Isabella Vigil, is a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation majoring in Biochemistry who plans to go to medical school. Isabella was planning to pay her way to a school further away from home, but by choosing 海角社区 and having her tuition covered she was able to live at home, keep her job in the health care industry and focus on her studies. She credits the one-on-one support of our Peer Mentoring Program with helping her get acclimated to college in her first semester, and I鈥檓 confident she鈥檒l be very successful on campus and in her future in the medical field.

To further aid students like Isabella, we hired a temporary full-time program coordinator to work directly with students and applicants and organize a Native Community Advisory Council. We want 海角社区 to be a welcoming place for Native students where they feel fully supported throughout their academic journey with us, and we鈥檙e continually working to improve in that regard.

海角社区 has some scheduled for November such as a talk on 鈥渢he Truth about Thankstaking鈥� and a meet and greet with Native Indigenous Program Coordinator Deserea Richards. Thank you to the for teaming up with student support departments such as our Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion to deliver these great events and build community for our students.

Native students are an important part of the Roadrunner family, and we鈥檙e proud to invest in your success!

Sincerely,

Janine Davidson, Ph.D.
President, 海角社区