Land-Grab Universities: Learning and Action

March 16, 2021 · by · in

When we talk about how our university is founded on and funded by the dispossession of Indigenous land, what can we do? What can our institutions do? What are obstacles, and how do we overcome them?

A map of Indigenous land granted to universities in Massachusetts, including UMass and MIT. Created by High Country News as part of the Land-Grab Universities project (https://www.landgrabu.org/).

During last week’s discussion about land grab universities, we brainstormed knowledge gaps and action steps. For discussion this week, we’ve grouped these into three categories:

  1. Raising awareness of our status as a land grab university, and disrupting romanticized narratives
  2. Renaming of campus buildings
  3. Reparations and Indigenous community connections

In small groups, we discussed the status, obstacles, and plans for these action items. To focus efforts and enact change, we hope to revisit this work throughout the semester (and beyond).