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2023 DEI 2.0 Plan Report

Honoring Article XVI: Native & Indigenous Engagement & Partnership

Building on the recommendations of the Native American Student Task Committee (NASTC) and the Indigenous Initiatives Leadership Group (IILG), along with evaluation outcomes of our collective learning in DEI 1.0, the university will pursue a comprehensive strategy focused on activities that support the visibility, vitality and wellbeing of Native American, First Nations and other Indigenous communities on campus and beyond.

A young person wearing traditional Native American clothing at the Dance for Mother Earth Powwow

This holistic approach will engage existing and new partnerships with academic and administrative units and the broader Native and Indigenous communities. Likewise, it will help to address the pervasive institutional norms and practices that may have undermined the recruitment, retention and sense of belonging of Native and Indigenous students, faculty, staff and tribal communities on the U-M campus.

This work will involve:

  • The development, dissemination and institutionalization of tools, resources and programs that, though open to all, are intended to support Native and Indigenous student, faculty, and staff success at U-M.
  • Curricular enhancements that increase Native and Indigenous presence, visibility and inclusion on campus.
  • Create cultural competency among campus communities to foster a sense of belonging for Native and Indigenous students, faculty, staff and tribal communities on the U-M campus.
  • Ongoing efforts to grow and nurture a culture that allows for meaningful and effective bi-directional engagement with Michigan’s tribal communities as well as broader Native and Indigenous communities.

This initiative will be led by a centrally charged cross-campus working group consisting of subject matter experts and community stakeholders.

Responsible Unit(s): The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, the Division of Student Life, the Office of Enrollment Management, Rackham Graduate School, the Office of the Vice President for Research, & Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum