We, the members of the Turtle Island Student Organization, call upon the Winona State University administration for the removal of the racist and traumatizing imagery in the entrance of Somsen Hall. This mural is an inaccurate portrayal of history and reinforces negative stereotypes of Native peoples. The stereotyped images of the Indigenous peoples of the pre-colonial Winona area in the Somsen Hall mural perpetuate harmful rhetoric and create a dangerous and unwelcoming environment for Native students on campus. Institutions of higher education, being the crown jewel of settler colonialism, must prioritize good relations with Native students and the Indigenous peoples of the land they occupy. This mural is doing the opposite.
Winona State University itself has acknowledged that “the mural imagery is historically inaccurate and deeply hurtful to Indigenous peoples” and goes even further with a land acknowledgment stating that they “strive to give that acknowledgment meaning by working with Indigenous people and nations whenever possible” in the article “Somsen Hall Mural Context: The Founding of Winona and the Somsen Hall WPA Mural” which was published by the university.
We, as Native students and allies, do not feel that this mural has created a safe and welcoming environment for any Native people who may visit Winona State. Furthermore, it perpetuates an untruthful history to all visitors. The imagery is harmful and pushes a narrative that insinuates that the colonization of this land was peaceful, welcomed, and inevitable. The genocide that occurred on this land was devastating and this mural is deeply problematic and offensive.
As a student organization we have repeatedly pushed the Winona State University administration to remove this mural to no avail.
According to the Winona State University website, the American Indian and Pacific Islander population on campus is less than 1% of the total student population. As long as this university continues to alienate Indigenous communities and prospective Native students with the presence of racist imagery, they will continue to experience this reality. To maintain their standard of equity and inclusive excellence, Winona State must take initiative to foster a culture of caring that can support their marginalized student body, both present and prospective.
We, the Turtle Island Student Organization, demand that Winona State University upholds its commitments to work with Indigenous peoples and its commitments to equity and inclusivity by removing the harmful mural in the entrance of Somsen Hall and replacing it with artwork done by a Native artist. This commitment must be ongoing, as the trauma of colonization is ongoing; therefore, we request the creation of Indigenous courses on our campus; for instance, Ho Chunk and Dakota languages, and the installment of a trained Indigenous liaison to work as an advocate for Native students and communities. Additionally, we demand that there be a transparent timeline of how these demands will be met. We require a timeline by the beginning of the new year. We are aware that there will be a celebration of Somsen Hall’s 100th anniversary on October 17th and demand that our collective art pieces are left up for the event.
Winona State University has an obligation to honor the sovereignty of Native nations and to treat its Native students with the same respect. By rectifying the issue of the Somsen Hall mural, the university will be making a clear statement of solidarity with the Dakota Oyate and other tribal nations who have stewarded this land.
