Highlighting Indigenous Peoples' Day on Fox 61

The University of Hartford honored Indigenous Peoples’ Day Oct. 10 with a Land Acknowledgement Ceremony, while also sharing with Fox 61 what the day represents.

Christine Grant, assistant vice president for Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement, along with Judy Wyman Kelly, associate director and instructor of University Interdisciplinary Studies, shared in the news segment that a celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day aligns with the University’s values of inclusion.

The Land Acknowledgement and associated ceremony on campus aimed to make Indigenous People feel valued and to make visible those who feel a form of invisibility, Grant told Fox 61. Kelly added that while some view Indigenous People as part of the past, they are a vital part of the community today.

The program reflected UHart’s newly established Land Acknowledgement, which recognizes and respects Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of the land upon which UHart currently sits, and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. 

This Land Acknowledgement is a first step in the ongoing process of broadening the horizons of students, faculty, and staff to deepen the understanding of the past history of the Indigenous Peoples, and to actively work with our indigenous community partners to repair and advance UHart's relationship with these communities.