The Native American/Indigenous Leadership Council (NAILC) at the University of Denver issued an official statement, on April 27, regarding the recent vandalism against the Native Student Alliance (NSA) community.

“On April 15 & 16, 2022, between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., the NSA Tipi was vandalized after DU Facilities Management and Planning failed to complete their work order to safely secure the tipi. As a result, unknown individuals broke four tipi poles while one remains missing,” wrote the Council.

This adds to the series of assaults and disrespect NSA has suffered this year. 

“This incident demonstrates the vulnerability and disrespect experienced by Native and Indigenous community members on our campus, particularly in the context of chronic underfunding, understaffing, and in the wake of administrative silence regarding the ideological harassment of NSA members by Turning Point USA in September 2021,” the Council wrote.

The Tipi as Our [NSA] Relative:

In Native and Indigenous culture, bringing a tipi to campus means welcoming a relative. 

“The DU Indigenous community cared for, spoke to, and prayed in and with the tipi. In doing so, the tipi became a relational space in which NSA students experienced welcome and affirmation. The tipi entered the DU community as a relative to NSA and required an institutional obligation to protect and nourish this relational space,” the Council wrote.

Beyond Vandalism:

In an email internally sent by the Office of the Chancellor to the DU community on April 20, 2022, the Chancellor called the tipi vandalism a breach of “our values and undermines our commitment to create a welcoming and belonging environment.”

“Vandalism centers the idea of the tipi as a mere object or as property, whereas our community members understand the tipi as a relative and a place of respect. In that context, the damage to the tipi poles was an act of desecration,” wrote the Council. “Such desecration and disrespect are enabled by DU’s culture that normalizes and celebrates the act of ‘pioneering.’ It also indicates that university leadership must continue to grapple with the hypocrisy of framing its actions under the rhetoric of equity and inclusion while remaining committed to the so-called Pioneer moniker. #NoMorePios,” the Council added.

Reconciliation and Healing:

“While non-Native students enjoyed the spring weather and prepared for midterms, Native students engaged in community dialogue and support to process and move forward,” the Council wrote.

On April 19, 2022, members of the DU Native and Indigenous communities met with the Chancellor to begin the process of reconciliation and healing. The Chancellor agreed to dedicate emergency funds to care for the damaged tipi poles, which would include cultural practices requiring off-campus travel and greater Native/Indigenous community involvement as well as to obtain a new tipi and poles.

Action Items Relating to Tipi Damage:

NSA demands the following: “Emergency funds to support the healing of Native and Indigenous DU students, staff, and faculty, including culturally-relevant emotional, physical, and spiritual support,” “that DU Facilities Management and Planning immediately develop a plan for Native and Indigenous community members to have access to tipi while it is being housed at the Community Commons,” “regular and recurring cultural competency training for staff members tasked with handling culturally significant items like the tipi,” and “a transparent process of reviewing footage between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. on April 15 & 16, 2022 in hopes of recovering the missing tipi pole.”

Action Items for Renewed Institutional Commitment to Indigenous Inclusivity: 

NSA also demands the following: “The Native American Liaison and Program Manager position be elevated to a Director position to help recognize the continued labor and commitment this role requires to best support the Native and Indigenous DU community,” “the removal of the Pioneer Moniker,” “a yearly operating budget of $70,000 for Native American and Indigenous initiatives, including student support success and community programming,” “Mountain Campus facility space dedicated to Native/Indigenous-specific events,” “the University purchase a second tipi to be used and housed at the Mountain Campus,” “leadership and administrative support to finalize the structure for the Native American/Indigenous Leadership Council,” and “a 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year plan from the DU administration on fulfilling the John Evans Report Recommendations and Demands outlined above.”

To ensure a transparent process, the NSA requests that the Native American/Indigenous Leadership Council receive quarterly updates from the university. These reports should include measurable outcomes and actions done to achieve the above-mentioned criteria.

The university is currently reviewing the camera footage as part of an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding the Tipi incident can contact Michael Bunker, Director of Campus Safety at michael.bunker@du.edu or anonymously through the Campus Safety reporting site.