Historical Acknowledgement Statement

We would like to recognize that North Central College occupies the land of the Council of Three Fires—the Ojibwa, Ottawa and Potawatomi peoples, past and present. We also acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced removal from this territory, and we honor, respect, and thank the many diverse indigenous peoples still connected to this land on which we gather. We recognize the grave harm that colonialism brought to these lands, in particular the erasure of indigenous and African identities not under only slavery, but via racist laws and segregation of people in our community. ​

We hope this acknowledgement compels those who hear it to take action and to learn more about indigenous and African cultures and our Nation's troubling past. We celebrate this ancestral land of the Council of Three Fires, remember people who have faced violence and exclusion in our community, and stand in solidarity with those who continue to battle hatred and racism today. ​ 

This historical recognition statement was developed in January 2020 by the Office of Student Affairs with input from students, staff and the expertise of faculty members Matthew Krystal, Ann Keating and William Barnett.