Global Courant
Native American tribes seek reparations for land “taken from them” across the country, joining a movement among black Americans demanding restitution from the government for past oppression.
State universities in particular are under pressure to address the acquisition of their land, often bought from Native American tribes for much less than the land was worth. The University of Minnesota is one that has been under particular pressure.
“You have these schools that have tens of millions of dollars at their disposal, but they don’t look at ways to improve the living conditions of indigenous peoples today,” An Garagiola, a descendant of the Chippewa tribe, told the Washington Post. “Yet their existence as institutions, as schools of learning, only exists today because of all that has diminished.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the university for comment, but they did not immediately respond.
The move comes months after a report berated UMN for its historic mistreatment of the state’s tribes.
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Native American tribes seek reparations for land “taken from them” across the country, joining a movement among African Americans demanding restitution from the government for past oppression. ((Photo by SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images))
The report called for university officials to hire more Native American teachers, provide additional financial aid to students, and return land as reparations for the damage.
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The report said the university’s founding board of regents “committed genocide and ethnic cleansing of indigenous peoples for financial gain, using the institution as a shell company to launder land and resources.”
The University of Minnesota has faced calls to make amends for the treatment of Native American tribes, with activists saying they must return land or make payments. (Josh Holmberg/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))
UMN officials have also acknowledged the findings and have launched a program in 2021 that will provide free or significantly reduced education to many enrolled members of the state’s 11 federally recognized tribes.
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“We welcome the opportunity to explore the history of the university. It is important that we work with the tribal nations to chart our course from here,” said Janie Mayeron, chair of the board of regents for UMN at a meeting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter at Fox News Digital covering national politics and major news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.
