‘Land-Grab Universities’: Native American Tribes Demand Reparations for Land Sold to U. of Minnesota

Several Native American tribes, whose ancestors sold over 94,000 acres of land to make space for the University of Minnesota, now want reparations from the school.

Eleven Native American tribes sold the land to make room for the university over 150 years ago, but researchers claim the time has come for restitution, the Washington Post reported Sunday.

Even though such universities have tens of millions of dollars at their disposal, they are not trying to use the funds to improve the lives of Native Americans, alleged An Garagiola, a descendant of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa.

“Yet their existence as institutions, as schools of learning, are only there today because of everything that was taken,” Garagiola added.

In April, a report conducted through the University of Minnesota found it should add more Native Americans to join its faculty, offer students more financial help, and return the land as a way to atone for past “mistreatment” of tribes in the area, according to Fox News.

The document alleged the school’s founding board of regents “committed genocide and ethnic cleansing of Indigenous peoples for financial gain, using the institution as a shell corporation through which to launder lands and resources,” the outlet continued.

Meanwhile, Native groups across the nation are pushing many colleges and universities to make a move regarding the issue, the Post report noted:

The newspaper said the 11 tribes wanting reparations in Minnesota include the Red Lake Nation and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. However, the groups have not named a specific amount.

The article noted the United States has offered reparations to Native Americans in the past, one example being in 1980 when the Supreme Court said the Sioux nation must be paid more than $105 million regarding the illegal government takeover of land.

“But many Native American leaders called for the return of the sacred land, not financial compensation. The money which sits in a trust and has since grown to more than $1 billion, remains unclaimed,” the newspaper said.

A March 2020 article from High Country News focused on “land-grab universities” and how over 10 million acres were taken from 250 tribes once the Morrill Act was signed by President Abraham Lincoln.

Over 10 million acres provided by these grants were expropriated from tribal lands of Native communities. The new land-grant institutions, which emphasized agriculture and mechanic arts, opened opportunities to thousands of farmers and working people previously excluded from higher education.

The site noted it was the first federal aid to to go higher education, adding, “Much of this land had been, and would continue to be, taken from Native American tribes.”

“It was ceded through treaties, agreements, and seizure. Often tribes were effectively forced to sign treaties ceding land because of their living conditions or threat of violence. In many cases, the federal government did not uphold its end of these treaties,” the site read.

Meanwhile, leftist ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s urged President Joe Biden’s (D) administration to give back “stolen indigenous land” this week, according to Breitbart News.

This 4th of July, it's high time we recognize that the US exists on stolen Indigenous land and commit to returning it. Learn more and take action now: https://t.co/45smaBmORH pic.twitter.com/a6qp7LXUAE

— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) July 4, 2023

“The United States was founded on stolen indigenous land. This Fourth of July, let’s commit to returning it,” the company said.

Breitbart News has covered extensively the issue of reparations.