On the heels of removing two diversity-related websites this week, the University of Arizona has deleted the phrase “committed to diversity and inclusion” from its widely used “land acknowledgement” statement.
The statement, which the UA has displayed on its “websites, email signatures, presentation slide decks and more” since 2021, is meant to “respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.”
After the “diversity and inclusion” reference was deleted, UA spokesperson Mitch Zak said Thursday:
“Aligning our land acknowledgment with federal guidance does not change the university’s unwavering commitment to its land grant mission or providing access to a world-class education for Native, Indigenous, and all students. We will continue to support and engage with Indigenous communities through education, research, and meaningful partnerships that honor the land’s rich history and culture.”
The deletion comes just after the UA took down the websites for its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Cultural and Resource Centers, the day after UA President Suresh Garimella said he would take steps to comply with Trump administration orders against DEI.
Garimella said the university will inventory its diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility-related programs, jobs and activities and will assess their impact.
His statement came after the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to universities, deeming race-conscious programming, admissions, financial aid, hiring, training and more to be illegal discrimination, and pledging to withhold federal funding for noncompliance.
When the university-wide land acknowledgement statement was formally adopted in 2021, then-UA President Robert C. Robbins said, “This land acknowledgement is a milestone in our important ongoing discussions with the Tohono O’odham Nation, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and the 20 other federally recognized tribes in the state. It indicates our commitment to collaborating with the Native Nations and Indigenous communities.”
The original statement said: “We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Today, Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, with Tucson being home to the O’odham and the Yaqui. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the University strives to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships, and community service.”
Nolan Cabrera, a UA professor of educational policy studies and practice, said Thursday, “The land acknowledgement at the UA was created in direct consultation with tribes, yet from my understanding, it was changed without their consultation. This is not how you foster relationships and trust. It is a disrespectful move by institutional leaders who are pre-complying with a legally questionable attack on DEI,” Cabrera said, emphasizing that he is speaking for himself and not representing the university.
Vanessa Perry, a faculty member in the UA College of Education, said, “The University of Arizona is on the ancestral lands of 22 Native nations. Our land acknowledgment statement was built in collaboration with Native communities as a way to center our mission as a land grant institution and honor the space on which we work, play, and live.
“I understand the need to respond to a very rapidly evolving context; however, the land acknowledgment statement was edited without collaboration with our Native partners. This failure signals a lack of respect for our Native partners and an overall lack of understanding of what it truly means to embody the values of a land grant institution,” Perry said.
The UA is the state’s only land-grant university and has served in that role since it opened its doors to students in 1891. Under federal laws passed in 1862 and 1890, Congress donated public land to each state to establish land-grant institutions.
The national Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities says on its website, “Unquestionably, the history of land-grant universities and other public universities intersects with that of Native Americans and the taking of their lands. … The mission of public and land-grant universities is one of inclusiveness.”
The University of Arizona
