WHEREAS, the federal Indian boarding school system was a component of broader federal policy that sought to dispossess Tribal Nations and Indigenous people of land and territory through the eradication of Indigenous cultures and assimilation of Indigenous people; and
WHEREAS, the federal Indian boarding school system disrupted and contributed to the loss of life, physical and mental health, territories and wealth, Tribal and family relations, use of Tribal languages, and Tribal religious and cultural practices; and
WHEREAS, the losses experienced as a result of the federal Indian boarding school system extend over several generations; and
WHEREAS, the Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School operated from 1891-1910 until the federal government transferred the property to the State of Colorado to establish an educational institution that would become Fort Lewis College; and
WHEREAS, understanding the complex history of Fort Lewis College and the reality that our history is steeped in violence against Indigenous people is a critical step in our process of reconciliation; and
WHEREAS, Fort Lewis College has engaged in a multi-year examination of our origin as a federal Indian boarding school and the impact that history has on Indigenous students and communities; and
WHEREAS, Fort Lewis College has an institutional interest in fully understanding the harms that occurred at the Fort Lewis Indian Boarding School and pursued legislation, HB 22-1327, with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Southern Ute Indian Tribe to establish the Federal Indian Boarding School Research Program; and
WHEREAS, reconciliation is an important step in addressing the intergenerational impacts of federal Indian boarding schools and is an on-going process that requires an intentional focus on healing, centering of Indigenous voices, maintaining respectful and reciprocal relationships; and
WHEREAS, Fort Lewis College seeks to Improve the well-being of Indigenous students, increase students' sense of belonging, foster Indigenous student success, and uphold our responsibilities to Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees for Fort Lewis College supports and endorses a comprehensive approach to reconciliation that is focused on healing, maintaining respectful and reciprocal relationships with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities, and caring for Indigenous students at Fort Lewis College.
APPROVED this 11th day of August, 2023
Mary Rubadeau, Chair, Board of Trustees for Fort Lewis College
Tom Stritikus, President, Fort Lewis College