The Department of Anthropology respectfully acknowledges that the University of Central Florida resides on lands and territories of the Ais, Apalachee, Calusa, Timucua, and Tocobago tribes as well as the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Many members of these Indigenous groups were forced to leave their land or lost their lives to genocide and other forms of settler colonial and state-sponsored violence. As a department, we recognize the historical and ongoing impact of colonization on Indigenous communities. We also acknowledge the role that anthropology has played in their exploitation, dispossession, and removal. Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Department of Anthropology will continue to work to be more accountable to Indigenous peoples in Florida and beyond.
The Department of Anthropology will take action in response to this acknowledgment with all Indigenous groups in teaching, research, and practice. Our intent is to:
- Support and promote Indigenous students, faculty, and staff in higher education
- Advance Indigenous scholarship
- Examine structural barriers to recruitment and/or professional advancement of Indigenous people
- Evaluate anthropology’s historic and current relationship with Indigenous individuals and communities