Honoring-the-Land-and-Its-First-Peoples-at-RVC.php

Honoring the Land and Its First Peoples at RVC

• Events
• 11/06/2025

Rock Valley College opened Native American Heritage Month with an afternoon of storytelling, laughter, and reflection led by Native American musician and storyteller Ron Kanutski, an Ojibwe Cultural Teacher known for blending music, humor, and wisdom to teach about Indigenous traditions. Kanutski’s performance brought students, faculty, and community members together to celebrate Native culture through drum, flute, and story setting an inspiring tone for the month ahead.

The event also marked an important milestone for RVC: the use of the college’s new Land Acknowledgment, a statement that formally recognizes the Indigenous nations who are the original caretakers of the land where the campus stands.

“Rock Valley College formed a committee in 2023 to research and develop a land acknowledgment that would respectfully recognize the Indigenous nations who are the original and current caretakers of the land where our campus stands,” said Lien Vu, Cultural Excellence and Belonging Specialist. “The goal was not only to craft a statement, but to pair it with meaningful action through a Standard Operating Procedure that ensures it is shared thoughtfully and consistently across events, courses, and materials.”

That balance between acknowledgment and action has been central to the work of RVC’s Promoting an Inclusive Community (PAIC) committee, which convened a subcommittee in 2023 to focus on Indigenous culture. The group sought input from Native students, employees, and community members, and met with regional educators who had implemented land acknowledgments at their own institutions. Their feedback shaped the language and spirit of RVC’s statement, which was formally approved in summer 2025.

According to PAIC co-chair Denise Anderson, Professor of Engineering and Technology, “PAIC supports a variety of programming, including honoring Native American Heritage Month, where we come to learn about different cultures, to acknowledge the true history of how we arrived where we currently are, and look for ways to promote a better future where everyone is seen, heard, and valued. RVC's new Land Acknowledgement is a part of this process by acknowledging the history of the land we use. It is one important step in connecting with Native Americans in our community.”

Vu said the process sparked learning and connection across campus. “The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Many faculty, staff, and students have expressed appreciation for RVC taking this step and for the opportunity to learn about the seven Indigenous nations connected to our region. We’ve also had meaningful internal discussions about how acknowledgment can lead to further action, whether that’s curriculum development, community partnerships, or student support initiatives.”

Those actions are already underway. Current goals include connecting with the RVC Foundation to explore scholarships for Native American students, promoting sustainable practices on campus, researching the specific nations whose lands RVC occupies, and creating visible markers, such as a bench or sign, honoring the history of the land.

PAIC was formed in 2009 and has been an active committee on campus since. Its mission is to lead the college community by enhancing and sustaining an institutional culture of equity and social justice that fosters diversity and inclusion.

“RVC has long supported a volunteer committee of employees called PAIC,” continued Anderson. “As a co-chair of the committee, I see an important part of that mission in making sure that everyone feels welcome on campus.”

As Kanutski reminded the audience through stories and song, honoring humanity and the sanctity of life is about relationship and reciprocity, understanding how all people and communities are connected through shared land and history.

As the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture reminds us, acknowledgment alone is a small gesture, but it becomes meaningful when paired with informed action. RVC’s land acknowledgment is just the beginning of deeper awareness, respect, and responsibility to the land and the original peoples who care for it.