To the Syracuse University Community,

Sgeñnoñh’ (Peace). The Indigenous Graduate Students on campus propose the policy change that Indigenous Peoples’ Day to be acknowledged and celebrated on the second Monday of October. This day would honor the unlikely survival and resilience of over 567 distinct peoples, cultures, and traditions. 

 Syracuse University is centrally located in the capital of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. As a neighbor to the Onondaga and Oneida Peoples, Syracuse University holds a unique and politically diplomatic position to address this change. This relationship has manifested itself in the creation of the Haudenosaunee Promise Scholarship, which has resulted in the steady increase of Indigenous populations in higher education. The unique history of Syracuse University has shown similar initiatives, such as the changing of the Saltine Warrior mascot in 1978, which helped build a precedent for changing mascot names in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Syracuse University would benefit from this change for the following reasons:
• It will be a great opportunity for Syracuse University to educate the campus community about Indigenous peoples’ knowledges and contributions to the community, university, city, state, American government; 
• It will be more welcoming to Indigenous students at Syracuse University; 
• It will create a sustainably inclusive atmosphere on campus; 
• It has the potential to increase enrollment of Indigenous peoples at Syracuse University, currently the largest concentration of Haudenosaunee students in the United States; 
• It has the potential to develop a stronger relationship with Indigenous peoples, more specifically all neighboring Haudenosaunee Nations; 
• It has the potential to increase retention rates and graduation rates of Indigenous students.

Syracuse University will join a number of other cities, towns, and counties (two of which neighbor Haudenosaunee territories) that have already made this change some of which include: Albuquerque, NM; Lawrence, KS; Portland, OR; St. Paul, MN; Bexar County, TX; Anadarko, OK; Seattle, WA; Alpena, MI; Akron, NY neighboring the Tonawanda-Seneca Nation and Lewiston NY neighboring the Tuscarora Nation. Many universities' decisions to make this change are pending. Syracuse University could be one of the first to build the precedent for this change.

We respectfully request that any and all references to the second Monday of October be changed to Indigenous Peoples’ Day in place of Columbus Day to reaffirm Syracuse University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. 

Dah ne’ toh (That’s all for now).
Respectfully,
Indigenous Graduate Students at Syracuse University