The Undergraduate Student Congress met Tuesday evening and passed two resolutions recognizing the month of November as Native American Heritage Month as well as Nov. 11 as Veterans Day.
Congress unanimously passed a congressional resolution recognizing November as Native American Heritage Month and supporting Native American students and staff in promoting their identities and culture.
With the U.S. government first recognizing Native American Heritage Month in 1990 and 9.5% of the state of Oklahoma’s population identifying as Native American and Alaska Native, according to the meeting agenda, this month is significant in educating the general public on the challenges Native Americans have faced throughout history up until today.
As of fall 2023, 1,107 students out of all 29,166 enrolled across all OU campuses identified as Native American or Alaska Native, whereas 2,649 identified as biracial, which includes any American Indian students who identified as such and 30 who identified as Hawaiian Native or Pacific Islander. However, this data may be inaccurate due to some people of Native heritage not specifying their race when asked, according to the agenda.
It’s important to acknowledge that the university is on the traditional land and home of the Caddo and Wichita nations, the agenda reads, and was once part of the Muscogee Creek and Seminole nations.
These nations and their culture's forceful removal, suppression and assimilation were official policies of early state and federal settlement laws which led the Undergraduate Student Congress and the Graduate Student Senate to agree that OU's Student Government Association shall recognize November as Native American Heritage Month, according to the agenda.
This includes recognizing and honoring Native American students along with their culture and heritage at OU, condemning any laws and policies that have or are currently suppressing, harming or denouncing Native peoples and recognizing that OU resides on traditional Native American land.
"It is not an opinion. It always was their land," Rep. Landen Mowdy said.
Upon a proposal by SGA Budget Committee Chair Zuyyin Izza Gulam, Congress unanimously passed an auxiliary bill to appropriate funds to various student organizations.
Congress also unanimously passed a congressional resolution called “The Salute to Veterans Beyond Veterans Day Resolution,” presented by Rep. Michael T. Reynolds Sr., recognizing Nov. 11 as Veterans Day. The resolution also encourages others to recognize veterans beyond Veterans Day.
Congress unanimously passed a congressional bill with the purpose of naming and appointing justices to the Student Government Association Superior Court. Both candidates, Claire Grace and Samantha Hepburn, were elected with a vote of 27-0-0.
This story was edited by Alexia Aston and Taylor Jones. Sophie Hemker and Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this story.
