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What's the Morrill Act and what does it have to do with our campus?

Event Type
Lecture
Sponsor
Native American House
Location
614 E. Daniel Street, Third Floor, Champaign, IL 61820
Date
Feb 22, 2023   5:00 - 6:00 pm  
Registration
Registration
Contact
Eduardo Martinez
E-Mail
emarti45@illinois.edu
Phone
217-333-1300
Views
107
Originating Calendar
Native American House

On July 2, 1862, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Morrill Act. This act paved the way for states to create public colleges funded by the development or sale of federal land grants. The cost of this legislation came at the expense of Native peoples, as nearly 11 million acres provided by these grants were expropriated from them. As High Country News has uncovered, all profits made from the land sales must be used in perpetuity, which reveals that those funds currently remain on university ledgers.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is designated as a land-grant institution, which means a land acknowledgement is typically read before wide-ranging functions. That is typically the full extent of which the campus community engages with its land-grant designation. But do folks understand the history of the Morrill Act, the Indigenous peoples who were removed to create this institution, and the ways the university continues to profit through the Morrill Act at the expense of Indigenous peoples? Jamie Singson, former Director of the Native American House, will provide a presentation on the Morrill Act and its implications in higher education and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Food & refreshments will be provided.

Registration Deadline: February 17th, 2023

Registration Link

A maximum of 30 participants will be accepted. This is a student-focused opportunity, faculty/staff are encouraged to assist in identifying students to attend. 

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