Change.org - Unmarked graves

The University of Minnesota-Morris is built on the unmarked graves of countless native children. After being forced to recognize that fact, the administration released statements supporting “truth telling and healing,” and emphasizing the need to “identify and act on next needed steps regarding the possibility of unidentified burial sites.” But the school has yet to even officially commit to searching the grounds for the remains of those they claim to want to honor. Sign the Circle of Nations’ petition to call on the university to finally put their words into action. University of Minnesota-Morris: #SearchTheSchool for Boarding School Victim Remains. 7,562 have signed Circle of Nations Indigenous Association’s petition. Let’s get to 10,000!

Sign now with a click

The University of Minnesota-Morris has a moral obligation to make immediate plans to search the school for the unmarked burial sites of the 2-7 Indian boarding school victims. These children must then be returned to their home communities so their spirits and families can heal. This is an essential action step towards fulfilling UMN Morris’s policy of truth telling, understanding, and healing in regards to our institution’s history as a former Indian boarding school.  In June 2021, outgoing Chancellor Michelle Behr announced the University’s willingness to cooperate with the Department of the Interior’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. However, we prefer that the search be conducted by an Indigenous ground-penetrating radar specialist, in constant collaboration with tribal nations and our Indigenous campus community, rather than the federal government - an institution responsible for destructive policies towards Native American people, including Indian boarding schools.

Sign now with a click

Visit petition page

At Change.org, we believe in the voice of everyday people. Is there something that you want to change? Start a petition today