A local educator is playing an important role in a new effort undertaken by USU. “Utah State University President Noelle E. Cockett has formed a working group that will create a framework for future university land acknowledgement statements that will recognize and respect Native American peoples as the original stewards of USU land,” shares the USU announcement. “Land acknowledgements are formal statements that recognize that the land an institution is on originally belonged to Indigenous peoples and acknowledges there remains an existing relationship between these people and their land.” The working group is chaired by Marilyn Cuch, Hunkpapa Lakota, a secondary education lecturer on USU’s Uintah Basin campus. “We are respectfully working with tribal leadership for approval and to ensure the land acknowledgements for all statewide campuses are accurate. With the start of an acknowledgment comes partnerships with our tribal communities, and eventually, programmatic changes reflecting the diverse needs and goals of the Native learners on our campuses.” Cuch said that it is an honor to work on this committee.
