Oakland University – Gidinawemaaganinaanig: Endazhigiyang

The Importance of Holding a Mirror Up to Whiteness in the Twenty-first Century

As Americans, many of us attended K-12 public schooling and were indoctrinated by the American education system to believe, for example, that Christopher Columbus was a heroic figure. From my experience, I learned that all settlers were great people because they “discovered” and “developed” America. I attended a very small school in a rural townContinue reading “The Importance of Holding a Mirror Up to Whiteness in the Twenty-first Century”

Gidinawemaaganinaanig Endazhigiyang

The unveiling of the Land Acknowledgement on campus, and the gift of Land back to the Indigenous community.

Acknowledging the Land: Our First Step

We call this land that abuts Oakland University’s Biological Preserve by her name in Anishinaabemowin: Gidinawemaaganinaanig Endazhigiyang (All Our Relations: The Place Where We All Grow). We practice the syllables and feel her cadence in our mouths as a kindling of intimacy. This is how our relationship began: Acknowledging the land is a common practiceContinue reading “Acknowledging the Land: Our First Step”