CSU Ethnic Studies professors Lindsey Schneider and Doreen Martinez look out over the land at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area.
Colorado State University Ethnic Studies professor Lindsey Schneider stands and contemplates the land and bison on Soapstone Prairie Natural Area.

The Native American Advisory Council to the President (originally the Task Force on Native American Initiatives) was established in the fall of 2018 by former CSU President Tony Frank. The University sought expertise in designing strategies and promoting activities that support and address Indigenous priorities for Native students and employees at Colorado State University. The Advisory Council’s work was to identify areas impacting work life, campus climate, and challenges faced by Native American and Indigenous peoples and students. The council also provided specific recommendations to the president for improvements within the university.

Goals and Responsibilities

Today, CSU President McConnell is engaging the Native American Advisory Council to continue to advance this work. Our primary efforts:

  • Identify and address Indigenous concerns and other issues impacting the campus climate and recommend improvements for Native American and Indigenous peoples and students;
  • Forward concerns and other issues, to make recommendations and present programs, policy changes, or additional ideas to the university administration;
  • Incorporate and attend to the national climate regarding Native American and Indigenous peoples and issues; and
  • Offer recommendations to counter pervasive national challenges related to Indigenous peoples and academia, including all disciplines, senior academic, and leadership positions in which Native American and Indigenous people are historically and currently underrepresented.

The Native American Advisory Council’s work shifts and responds to current needs with each academic year. Our priorities this year respond to direct requests made by students:

  • building university connections;
  • exploring models on other campuses;
  • displaying and honoring tribal flags on campus; and
  • (re)visiting responsibilities and starting new tribal consultations.

The creation of the CSU Land Acknowledgment was one of the first projects the Native American Advisory Council worked hard to bring to campus. CSU’s Land Acknowledgment was crafted by a variety of Indigenous faculty and staff, as well as other officials at CSU. The statement recognizes the long history of Native peoples and nations that lived and stewarded the land where the university now resides. The land acknowledgment statement also maintains the connection Native people and nations still have to this land. For more information, please visit the CSU Land Acknowledgment website: https://landacknowledgment.colostate.edu/

Membership

Members of the Native American Advisory Council