{"id":137869,"date":"2023-11-23T00:02:51","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T05:02:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=137869"},"modified":"2023-11-23T09:24:30","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T14:24:30","slug":"northwestern-gets-green-light-for-stadium-rebuild-despite-native-american-opposition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/northwestern-gets-green-light-for-stadium-rebuild-despite-native-american-opposition\/","title":{"rendered":"Northwestern gets green light for stadium rebuild despite Native American opposition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Decision followed six-hour city council meeting<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Evanston, Illinois city council voted Monday to allow Northwestern University to rebuild its athletic stadium despite opposition from local people and Native American groups.<\/p>\n

A Monday university news release<\/a> stated “the project\u2019s approval comes after extensive dialogue with community members, reflecting Northwestern\u2019s commitment to understanding and addressing the concerns of Evanston residents.”<\/p>\n

The decision followed a city council meeting<\/a> of more than six hours.<\/p>\n

The council “also approved the rezoning application that would allow six concerts a year and other community-oriented events at the new venue,” according to the news release.<\/p>\n

“The new stadium is anticipated to be a catalyst for local economic growth, bringing new jobs, boosting local businesses and creating a vibrant cultural hub in Evanston,” it stated.<\/p>\n

The Native American Guardian’s Association opposed the construction plan because “it amounts to cancellation of history due to potentially disturbing Native American land near the proposed construction site,” the group told The College Fix<\/em> in an email.<\/p>\n

\u201cNAGA believes the presence of Native American ancestral burial and archeological sensitive sites are reason to prevent planned construction,\u201d the group said. \u201cWe suggest Northwestern University consult with NAGA and any other Native organizations and tribes which have weighed in on this issue for future guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Northwestern’s published land acknowledgment states<\/a>\u00a0its campus “sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations.\u201d<\/p>\n

The university also stated its land acknowledgment would have lasting relevance.<\/p>\n

\u201cLand acknowledgments do not exist in a past tense, or historical context: colonialism is a current ongoing process, and we need to build our mindfulness of our present participation,\u201d a statement on the same website reads, quoting the Native Governance Center.<\/p>\n

NAGA recently launched Change.org petitions to revert<\/a> the Washington Commanders football team back to the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Guardians back<\/a> to the Cleveland Indians. The group\u00a0\u201cis a 501c3 non-profit organization\u201d that aims to \u201ceducate not eradicate\u201d things related to Native Americans, according to its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n