Today, as @brownu celebrates Indigenous People’s Day on the official academic calendar, I’m reflecting on the generations of @nab.brownu students who fought for this, and the 2015 students who led the immense, beautiful organizing campaign that led to the final name change. Those students endured so much and worked so hard for what today seems like such an obvious choice. Seven years later, we now have a land acknowledgement and a list of commitments, but Native student graduation rates still sit at 71% while all other racial and ethnic groups are 93-98%. We have an incredible new Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies concentration, but I am currently the only tenure stream Indigenous faculty member teaching Indigenous studies this semester. For the past decade the demands from Native students have been simple and the same: gathering space, culturally specific student services support, relationships with local tribes, and Native faculty and staff hires. We’ve been fighting very hard for a very long time, so I hope this year can see some real, system level change. I am so proud and love so deeply all of the Indigenous students fighting every day in colonial institutions that are incapable of loving them back. It shouldn’t have to be this hard. Every university in what is currently known as the United States is built on and from Indigenous land, and benefits every single day from the displacement, invisibility, and genocide of Indigenous peoples. It’s time to truly recognize and honor that relationship. Services and support for Native students aren’t “extra,” they are *required* to be a good relative to this land. To the other Native faculty members like me, as the only Native person in your department or even on campus, I see you too. I know how hard it is to try and be all things Native to your entire university. Today I wish you/us rest and peace. I wish you time to work on the research and writing that feeds your spirit and brought you to academia in the first place. I wish you love. To the 2015-16 NABbers, thank you for the gift of IPD at Brown. May we continue to honor your legacy. [Tagging folks in comments because caption is too long!]