West Liberty University celebrates Native American Heritage Month this November with an acknowledgement of the past. WLU’s Campus and Community Diversity Committee collaborated with others (noted below) to compose the following statement:

“Native American Heritage Month is a time to educate our campus and local community about tribes and to raise awareness about the unique challenges Native people faced both historically and presently.

 West Liberty University respectfully acknowledges that our university is built upon the ancestral and historic lands of the Seneca-Cayuga, Eastern Shawnee, Osage, and Lenape people.

We acknowledge the destructive role that colonization and cultural cleansing have played in the history of these and other Indigenous groups. We hope to forge a relationship built on mutual respect and trust with these and other Indigenous groups.

President Reagan designated Nov. 23-30, 1986, as “American Indian Week.” In November 1990, the first proclamation for Native American Heritage Month came from President George H.W. Bush, after congress passed a resolution that designated November 1990 as National American Indian Heritage Month. Every President since 1995 has issued annual proclamations designating the month of November as a time to celebrate the cultures, accomplishments, and contributions of Native Americans. 

We would like to acknowledge the following groups and individuals and their contributions to this land acknowledgement statement: Drs. Hilary Bougher-Muckian and Cecilia Konchar Farr, the Campus and Community Diversity Committee, and the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers of the Seneca-Cayuga, Eastern Shawnee, Osage, and Delaware Tribe of Indians.”