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What is the Decolonization and Reciprocity Working Group?
What is the Decolonization and Reciprocity Working Group?
Hampshire College recognizes that it was founded and operates on the ancestral homelands of the Nipmuc, Nonotuck and Pocoumtuk Peoples. Over 400 years of colonization, the Nipmuc, Nonotuck and Pocomtuk Peoples were violently displaced from these lands. We acknowledge that, as an institution, we benefit from and participate in white settler colonialism and we commit ourselves to contributing concretely to decolonization and building right and reciprocal relationships with Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples locally, regionally and beyond.
The Decolonization and Reciprocity Working Group is responsible for cultivating right and reciprocal relationships with Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples locally and regionally. These relationships will be grounded in a set of institutional commitments and responsibilities that are responsive to the needs, desires, and visions articulated by our Indigenous neighbors. We understand that contributing to decolonization and cultivating right and reciprocal relationships is a long-term process that requires long-term commitment.
Our work is grounded and guided by our shared understanding of decolonization and reciprocity, and vision, principles, and transformational goals that you can learn about here.
What we are currently working on:
What we are currently working on:
Educating Ourselves & Our Community about Indigeneity, colonization/decolonization, local Indigenous history and presence, and Indigenous perspectives on land and land stewardship. This includes providing ample opportunities for our campus community to reflect on and reckon with our entitlement, positionality, power, privilege and what brings us to this work.
Developing a living land acknowledgement grounded in concrete action steps and reflective praxis that moves us towards decolonization and reciprocity. We have outlined how to engage in this practice in our Living Land Acknowledgement Resource Guide.
Building right and reciprocal relationships with representatives of Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities, locally and regionally, whose lands Hampshire College is currently on.
Creating Conditions for Indigenous Students to Thrive by providing them with the necessary resources and support so that they can thrive at Hampshire College.
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