Today we honor the Indigenous Peoples of this region and this country, honor their wisdom, recognize the harms brought by colonialism, and recommit to a shared future that centers repair, honor and co-creation.
This will be a lifelong and imperfect journey, but our Indigenous leaders are at the helm of exciting work on our campus and in the community such as the annual Pow Wow on campus, which held its 50th celebration earlier this year. As we look ahead to the year to come, there are many more opportunities for co-creation, engagement and learning opportunities.
Being new to the Pacific Northwest, I am still learning about our Native tribes and culture, both indigenous to the immediate area and relocated from other parts of the Nation. I like to say that I came to Oregon this past summer on my own personal Oregon Trail, but I want to acknowledge that original settlers to this place took possession of the ancestral lands of several bands of the Chinook-speaking people, the Tualatin Kalapuya and many other Indigenous Nations of the Columbia River. We honor Indigenous Peoples Day as a call to remember, reflect and recommit to taking steps toward repairing past wrongs.
Portland State is embracing its emerging identity as a majority BIPOC university and we strive to be a welcoming place for Tribal students who choose to come here to learn in our community. This year, on November 17th we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Native American Student and Community Center and hope the campus community will join us for the celebration luncheon at the center. The beautiful building at the south end of campus is a gathering space to celebrate and empower student success through culturally relevant programming, academic support, and inter-generational community engagement to preserve and perpetuate inter-tribal connection for Native American/Alaskan Native/Pacific Islander students and allies through tradition, ceremony, and storytelling. Mark your calendars for an event on Nov. 17 to learn more about this important PSU community center.
We are also celebrating the hire of PSU’s first Tribal Liaison who will work with the President’s Office and departments across campus to maximize opportunities for engagement with regional Tribes and to better support Indigenous students. Join me in welcoming Modesta Minthorn to our campus later this fall.
We are well into renovating the future home of the Vernier Science Center and over the summer PSU renamed the Harrison Street Building the PSU ITECK Center, creating a space that will support the education and practice of Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ITECK) on campus. Both buildings, along with the Native Center will center Indigenous wisdom and practices on this campus.
Last week, Dean Joseph Bull, who leads our Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science and is one of the only Native engineering school deans in the country, went on KOIN’s AM Extra to talk about PSU’s emerging strength in infusing our STEM fields with Indigenous practices.
I am proud of the progress we are making as a university community toward fulfilling our responsibility to learn from our Indigenous community members and support the thriving of Native students. I also know there is more to be done and we all have much to learn from our Tribal neighbors.
Thank you for joining me throughout the year as we celebrate and honor the rich and robust Indigenous cultures, traditions and histories that are part of the PSU, Portland, and Oregon communities.