Statement by School of Social Welfare and School’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council after 9/29 Stealing of Common Work of Art

The School of Social Welfare and its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council abhors and vehemently opposes the acts of racist violence that occurred in the destruction and subsequent theft of the University of Kansas Common Work of Art, “Native Hosts”, by Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds. We stand in solidarity with the Lawrence and Kansas Indigenous communities, and the First Nations Student Association in condemning these racist acts and encourage authorities to view these as hate crimes. We commit to supporting the KU First Nations Student Association, and Native Faculty and Staff Council, as KU organizing bodies, in joint action to celebrate the contributions of Indigenous students, staff, faculty, and community members and to resist additional acts of hate against any historically excluded population. We commit to teaching accurate history of and current realities of Native peoples experiences within the context of colonization, including the role of social work as agents of social control and change. We commit to the research endeavors of Native faculty and students.

As stated in the School’s Land Acknowledgement statement, the School “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 recognizes, advocates, and supports the sovereignty of the four-federally recognized tribes of Kansas, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, the Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska and the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska.​​

This acknowledgement reminds us to continue advocating for and supporting Native students, staff, and faculty while working towards decolonizing the systems of power and oppression.”