Students’ Association passes land acknowledgement

Ordinance 26-1-O passed during Monday night’s Students’ Association (SA) meeting, establishing a formal and acknowledgement for all SA Senate Meetings.

The ordinance was created in collaboration with the American Indian Students’ Association (AISA). AISA Vice President Michael Hall said he was proud of the work done to represent the local indigenous community.

“I’d encourage everyone here tonight to really look at it (the land acknowledgement) as not just a blanket statement that we’re trying to have at the start of meetings to try and get through,” Hall said. “But something that holds importance and is very significant to our community here on campus.”

SDSU’s land acknowledgement , created through the Wokini Initiative, will be read after the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of each SA meeting.

During unfinished business, several senators spoke in support of Ordinance 26-1-O.

“I think there’s absolutely no reason you shouldn’t do this (the land acknowledgement),” Government Affairs Chair Jacki Mollison said. “I think it’s been too long and it’s good that we can do this now.”

Senator At-Large Paul Fasen said he spoke with members of his constituency after initially reading the ordinance and asked them whether or not they care about the land acknowledgement.

“Resoundingly, the constituents that I talked to said that they didn’t care,” Fasen said. “One person actually said that he would prefer it if we didn’t include this land grant.”

Fasen said his job is to represent his constituents but questioned why land acknowledgments are included at certain events. He suggested the ordinance could be amended.

Vice President Megan Christoffels said she researched universities where land acknowledgments have been discounted.

She said some universities discontinued the acknowledgments because they were being used without further discussion.

“With the initiatives that we have, the Wokini Initiative that we talked about, and the relationships that we’re looking to foster, this is super important to continue the conversation,” Christoffels said.

After further discussion the ordinance passed.

IN OTHER NEWS

Title IX/Equal Opportunity Coordinator Michelle Johnson addressed the Senate during open forum.

Johnson provided senators with information about her office and said they should be prepared to direct students to appropriate Title IX resources. She told senators they are the “face of the university” and may be approached by students with questions about Title IX.

During staff reports, Chief of Staff Sharples-Schmidt said he attended a Parking and Traffic committee meeting and learned that, according to the FBI, electric scooters are considered motor vehicles.

“So every time one (electric scooter) is stolen, the university people who are handling that have to fill out a report for a stolen motor vehicle,” Sharples-Schmidt said.

“

When we stop having conversations about difficult topics, about history, we’re bound to repeat them

— Megan Christoffels, SA Vice President

Students’ Association passes land acknowledgement

Comments