USD hires new tribal liaison

A step forward in USD’s commitment to honoring tribal lands 

SALENA CHACON / ASST. NEWS EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

The position of tribal liaison remained empty for over a year… until now. 

The Office of Tribal Liaison (OTL) was established in 2014 under the lead of Persephone Lewis. One of the many goals of the office is to “cultivative an inclusive community for Native American students at USD” and “to strengthen community engagement with local Native communities, to share cultural knowledge and spread awareness about Native American issues,” according to the OTL website. Sahmie Wytewa stepped into the role in early September and appreciated the warm welcome from USD students and faculty. 

“It’s just been really busy, but great,” Wytewa said “I feel like it’s the right place to be when I walk out there. There’s just so much happening, including with students and with faculty.”

Dr. Meaghan Weatherdon, a professor in the department of Theology and Religious Studies, explained  that the office is crucial to advancing USD’s connection to tribal lands and communities. 

“As a scholar of Indigenous religions and spirituality, the office of the tribal liaison has been central, I feel, to the project of reconciliation, to the work of supporting our Native American and Indigenous students here on campus, and to the work of developing relationships with local communities around campus,” Dr. Weatherdon said.

Dr. Angel Hinzo, an assistant professor of Ethnic Studies, pointed out USD’s identity as both a Catholic and changemaker campus makes efforts to strengthen relationships even more important.

“It’s important for USD as a university and a Catholic social institution, as part of this mission to uplift human dignity. I mean, we’re teaching changemakers,” Dr. Hinzo said. “Part of that should be on the frontlines of efforts like land acknowledgement statements and other reconciliation efforts that point to and say, ‘there’s a history here in this place. There’s a reason why we’re all able to be here.’”

One of USD’s most notable efforts to strengthen tribal ties is USD’s land acknowledgement.

USD senior Reyn Yoshioka doesn’t think the land acknowledgements in classrooms are enough attribution for the Kumeyaay. 

“I wouldn’t say that the land acknowledgement are bad, but in my classes, they’re rarely done,” Yoshioka said. “I hear it in club meetings, but my classes will brush through it, if anything.”

Similarly, USD first-year Katrina Zhang would want to see USD do more than read a required land acknowledgement.

“It’s pretty generic, but USD is  already on the land, so the least that they could do is give back to the community in some way,” Zhang stated.

This land acknowledgement was made in collaboration with community members, recognizing that USD was built on Kumeyaay lands. The land acknowledgement is meant to be recited before major USD events and is included in many class syllabuses. 

Dr. Hinzo suggested it should be a living document.

“I think there’s room to make some edits, and I think that’s completely fine, because it should be a living statement that can be amended as needed. Hopefully, as we’re moving towards equity it will need to be amended to fit each generation’s needs,” Dr. Hinzo explained.

The land acknowledgement, according to Dr. Hinzo, should be a document that adapts as USD’s relationship with tribal lands and communities grows and changes. 

Dr. Weatherdon sees the land acknowledgement as an individual responsibility for each member of the USD community.

“The  question of how to improve on the land acknowledgment is a question that each individual has to ask themselves, and each individual engaging with it needs to think deeply about and constructively about,” Weatherdon said. “I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits all answer for that question. Because the ways in which we acknowledge the land and the ways in which we live out that acknowledgement are going to be different for each of us.”

Wytewa, in her first few weeks as tribal liaison, already had several conversations regarding the land acknowledgement.

“We can’t put [the land acknowledgement] in different places or spaces and bring it up and then not do anything about it,” Wytewa said. 

Wytewa’s efforts to put the promises of the land acknowledgement into action is a priority. In Fall 2019, less than 1% of USD’s student population identified as American Indian or Alaska Native, according to the federal report of race/ethnicity for students.  Part of Wytewa’s goals in her new position is to reach out to Native American students and increase their involvement on campus.

“The hope and expectation of this office is that we’re going to increase our Native American student representation, and that just means we have to figure out the best ways to be a resource and a support for pathways,” Wytewa expressed.

Some ideas Wytewa has include reaching out to high schools in the area, connecting students with programs that align with their interests, and to cater to the specific needs of Indigenous communities.

Wytewa also emphasized the importance of meeting Indigenous communities’ needs first.

“One of the goals that I have is making those connections, whether it’s with tribal leaders or tribal education departments, or even tribal programs, to learn more about what their needs are in their local communities,” Wytewa said.

The OTL’s goals are to bolster Native American student populations on campus and foster a community that is knowledgeable about tribal lands and communities, especially with California Indian Day passing on Sept. 23.