essay by scott langston - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Understanding the “TCU” in “TCU"
In this essay by Scott Langston, a professor of Religion at Texas Christian University and the Native American Nations and Communities Liaison for the university, he discusses the challenges of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the institution within the context of Native American history.
He first reminds us that the very idea of Texas is fraught because of the colonial violence enacted on Native peoples in order to create this state. TCU carries this heritage by including the state's name in the university's name. Additionally, the "Christian" element of the university's name reflects the way religion was used to physically and culturally colonize Native Americans. This colonization occurred primarily through missions and schools. The use of Christianity as a weapon against Indigenous peoples thus cannot be forgotten. Finally, Langston reminds us that universities themselves enact violence against Native Americans by treating them as objects of study. Indigenous knowledges, according to him, are not respected within the contexts of the university. He concludes by calling upon the university to acknowledge its colonial history and to revise its policies and programs in the spirit of DEI to be more equitable towards Native Americans in light of these colonial contexts. |
native american and indigenous peoples monument
2021 native american and indigenous peoples day symposium
For the 2021 Native American and Indigenous Peoples Day Symposium at Texas Christian University, the university selected MMIWG2S as the theme. To that end, several campus events were held to spotlight this issue for students and faculty alike. The university also created a learning guide with ideas for faculty to incorporate into their teaching.
The first even was a screening of the film Two Spirit on 9/30/2021. This film tells the story of the brutal murder of Fred Martinez, a Navajo two spirit person. The documentary not only tells the story of this hate crime, but it covers the history of two spirit people among Indigenous peoples, particularly the Navajo. The screening was followed by a discussion among the viewers and the facilitators. The second event was a lecture on 10/4 by Annita Lucchesi, a Cheyenne woman and the founder of the Sovereign Bodies Institute. Her talk was about the importance of survivor-led research, especially in the context of data gathering. The third event was a keynote on 10/4 by Annita Lucchesi. She spoke about her organization, Sovereign Bodies Institute, and the importance of Indigenous knowledge-making and data-gathering. The fourth event was a roundtable discussion on 10/5 about MMIWG2S between three Native people: President Terri Parton (Wichita and Affiliated Tribes), Chairperson Nita Battise (Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas), and Jodi Voice Yellowfish (Chair of MMIW TX Rematriate). The fifth and final event was a panel about boarding schools, Christianity, and violence towards Indigenous people. The panel included three Native people: Chebon Kernell (Seminole), Jodi Voice Yellowfish (Muscogee/Creek, Oglala Lakota, and Cherokee), and Annette Anderson (Chickasaw and Cherokee). |