In October 2020, the University of Utah officially launched its Indigenous Land Acknowledgment. The statement recognizes and honors the fact that the university is located on the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Shoshone, Paiute, Goshute and Ute tribes; the state of Utah is home to eight distinct tribal nations.
The Native American Land Use Committee worked for about a year to develop the statement, which is intended to be used campus wide. Here is the statement.
Native American Land Use Committee Members:
Mary Ann Villarreal, vice president for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and co-chair
Elizabeth Kronk Warner, dean of the S.J. Quinney College of Law and co-chair (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians)
Adam Dell, assistant professor, Department of Pediatrics
Alberta Comer, dean of libraries
Alice Whitacre, associate general counsel, Office of General Counsel
Ashley Cordes, assistant professor of indigenous communication (Coquille)
Becky Menlove, former director of the visitor experience, Natural History Museum of Utah
Charles Sepulveda, assistant professor, Ethnic Studies (Tongva and Acjachemen)
Chris Nelson, communications director, University Marketing & Communications
Dena Ned, associate professor, College of Social Work (Chickasaw Nation)
Greg Smoak, director, American West Center and associate professor of history
Morgan Aguilar, communications specialist, University Marketing & Communications
Sarah Projansky, associate Vice President for faculty, Academic Affairs
Shayma Salih, student, Hinckley Institute of Politics