Land Acknowledgment

The School of Social Welfare acknowledges that the University of Kansas occupies land that has been cared for by several tribal nations.

This land acknowledgment recognizes that Indigenous people are traditional guardians of the land and that there is an enduring relationship between Indigenous peoples and these traditional territories. Our School affirms, advocates for, and supports the sovereignty of the four federally recognized tribes of Kansas, and the other 574 federally recognized Nations in the U.S.

School of Social Welfare Actions 

The acknowledgment reminds us to continue our commitment to advocating for and supporting Indigenous students, staff and faculty while working toward decolonizing the systems of power and oppression.

Current Actions of Commitment 

  • Offers Indigenous-framed BSW and MSW courses on topics of decolonizing social work, historical and intergenerational trauma, and practice with Indigenous families

  • Indigenous students receive professional advising from Indigenous faculty

  • Collaborates with Indigenous students, alumni, faculty, and staff at KU and Haskell Indian Nations University to bring awareness on issues such as MMIWG2ST+ and the impacts of the Federal Indian Boarding School system

  • Collaborates with KU Indigenous Studies Program to provide a pathway to MSW courses for ISP students interested in social welfare

  • Provides opportunities for and support to Indigenous students and relationship building with Native communities through a liaison position