SUNY Cobleskill honors Native Americans
Nov. 25—SUNY Cobleskill now has a walkway named in honor of the native people who once lived on the campus site.
College President Marion Terenzio and Chief Diversity Officer Derwin Bennett this week issued a proclamation in recognition of Native American Heritage Month and the college's physical placement on the ancestral lands of the Mohawk people. The proclamation officially names a main campus walkway as the "Haudenosaunee Pathway of Pride," a tribute to the member nations of the Iroquois/Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
The pathway from Vroman Hall to Frisbie Hall will be adorned with the flags of Native American nations and other markings and signage along the route, a media release from the college said.
The proclamation reads:
"WHEREAS, November is National Native American Heritage Month, a time for us to consciously celebrate the rich history of Native Americans throughout the world, their culture, and the many contributions Native Americans have made to our larger society.
"WHEREAS, SUNY Cobleskill is a campus community that welcomes all and is characterized by empathy, inclusivity, respect, personal growth, integrity, and a collaborative spirit where we find a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world through one another.
"WHEREAS, this College empowers our students to use education as a critical feature of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We recognize that, as citizens and as stewards of human nature, each of us carries with us a different life experience. This diversity of life is the richness of our community and sharing life experiences is how we grow as citizens.
"WHEREAS, as we live these values today, we remember the great tribulation associated with the story of Native American heritage, and we honor the deep cultural roots that are still growing today with the hope of bringing balance to humanity.
"WHEREAS, we acknowledge that the SUNY Cobleskill campus is located on the ancestral lands of the Mohawk Nation, members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, along with the Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora nations, and we honor and respect their connection to this land and its history.
"WHEREAS, SUNY Cobleskill's campus community, alumni, and friends feature manifold representatives of Native American nations whose ancestry is characterized by the nations who hold sacred this land and all the lands that encompass New York State and the United States of America.
"THEREFORE, in recognition of Native American heritage and SUNY Cobleskill's enduring connection to native cultures, and in honor of the tribulation experienced by native peoples throughout the history of our nation, I, President Marion A. Terenzio, do hereby proclaim the campus walkway spanning from the main entrance of Vroman Hall to Frisbie Hall as the "Haudenosaunee Pathway of Pride."
An unveiling event will be planned for the spring of 2023, the release said.
