UT Libraries honor and offer gratitude to past and present generations of Indigenous Peoples who have inhabited and cared for the land on which the University of Texas at Austin resides and where we work, study, and learn.
UT Libraries recognize the Alabama-Coushatta, Caddo, Carrizo/Comecrudo, Coahuiltecan, Comanche, Kickapoo, Lipan Apache, Tonkawa, Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo, and all the American Indian and Indigenous Peoples and communities who have been or have become a part of these lands and territories in what is now known as Texas.
While honoring the many diverse Indigenous Peoples still connected to this place, we also acknowledge the painful history of genocide, forced removal from this territory, and assimilation, along with the ongoing injustices against Indigenous Peoples and Native lands.
As an academic institution that provides access to resources and information for research and learning purposes, it is UT Libraries responsibility to support scholarship, grow partnerships, and foster an environment that celebrates and amplifies Indigenous voices and knowledge.
UT Libraries are committed to engaging in a dialogue with the Native American and Indigenous Studies program at UT Austin to determine if this statement and the actions outlined best acknowledge and support tribal connections to the land that is now known as Texas.
Calls to Action
UT Libraries invite you to:
- Read and reflect on the land engagements and commitments that the Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) program has called on UT Austin to address
- Engage with library associations and archives that center and preserve Indigenous experiences, such as the Archive of the Indigenous Languages of Latin America (AILLA), the American Indian Library Association (AILA), and the Association for Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM)
- Get in touch with local Indigenous nations or organizations to support their work in sustaining Native communities, such as any of these Indigenous Texas Organizations.
- Explore UT Libraries guides that:
- Support the research of the NAIS program at UT Austin
- Illustrate the diversity in Indigenous media and creative production
- Increase your knowledge and awareness of the genocide and forced displacement of, as well as the ongoing injustices against Indigenous Peoples and Native lands by non-Native settlers
