September 30, 2021

Dear UM Family, 

At the University of Montana, we value our connection to the Indigenous peoples who strengthen our community and inform our history, and we recognize the ongoing contributions Native students, faculty, staff and alumni make at UM. Last Friday, on American Indian Heritage Day, our campus community honored the historical, cultural and social contributions of Montana’s tribal communities. 

Alongside these celebratory events, our campus is called to remember the injustices that are part of our state’s and nation’s histories. One such injustice is the loss of life and culture inflicted by American Indian boarding schools during the early 19th through mid-20th centuries. To raise awareness and foster healing, Main Hall will be lit orange from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight in honor of the National Day of Remembrance for U.S. Indian Boarding Schools.

In addition, the College of the Arts and Media will sponsor an “Every Child Matters March” on the Oval on Monday, Oct. 11. Participants are encouraged to wear orange to this event.

Then on Oct. 11, Indigenous Peoples Day, we invite the UM family to participate in a campuswide celebration of Native peoples.

We are at our best as a country when we recognize and celebrate the differences among us. At UM, we are at our best as an institution when we celebrate the strengths of each and every member of our campus community. Our time at UM is just one short chapter in the long story of this valley. The UM story does not exist without the story of the Indigenous people who came before us and continue to inspire us today as our friends and colleagues.

Indigenous Peoples Day Events on Oct. 11:

• 9-11 a.m. – Branch Center reception with recorded presentations.
• 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Ethnobotany Garden guided tours and Native plant stewardship information. 
• 1-2 p.m. – Pacific Islander’s Club procession on the Oval.
• 2-3 p.m. – Every Child Matters March on the Oval.
• 3-5:30 p.m. – Virtual Featured Speakers on the topic of Tribal Natural Resources.
• 5:30-7 p.m. – Online All Nations Health Center book club discussion of “Elatsoe” by Darcie Little Badger

Look for more information and COVID-19 event protocols closer to the event date in UMToday and on Griz Hub.

Seth