Land Acknowledgement

The RTCIL acknowledges that the University of Kansas occupies homelands of several tribal nations, including the Kaw, Kickapoo, Sioux, Osage, and Shawnee peoples. Specifically, the University occupies land taken from Native Peoples in 1825 with the Kaw Treaty and with the Shawnee Treaty enforced in 1854. We acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced removal from this territory, and we honor and respect the many diverse Indigenous peoples still connected to this land.

Our Center recognizes and supports the sovereignty of all Indigenous people and communities including the four federally recognized tribes of Kansas: the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska, and the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, as well as members of the Delaware and Wyandot Nations.

This acknowledgment compels us to continue advocating for, supporting, and hiring Indigenous students and staff while also amplifying the voices of our Native American students and colleagues.