Native Americans join call for reparations over Minnesota treatment of tribal lands

Native American tribes are seeking reparations for land that was “taken” from them across the country, joining a movement among Black Americans demanding restitution from the government for past oppression.

State-run universities in particular are facing pressure to address the acquisition of their land, often purchased from Native American tribes for far less than the land was worth. The University of Minnesota is one that has faced particular pressure.

“You have these schools that have tens of millions of dollars at their disposal, but they are not looking at any ways they can improve living situations for Indigenous peoples today,” An Garagiola, a descendant of the Chippewa tribe, told the Washington Post. “Yet their existence as institutions, as schools of learning, are only there today because of everything that was taken.”