Editorial: End discrimination against Native Americans in Michigan

A 2013 study of Isabella County residents has revealed that racism and discrimination against Native Americans needs to be addressed.

Commissioned by the Isabella County Human Rights Committee and funded by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, the study showed less than 15 percent of Native American participants had a positive opinion of Isabella County. Included in the study are more than 500 stories of racial discrimination against Native Americans.

The relationship between members of the Tribe and the community is better than it was 50 years ago. The Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School was closed in 1934. And yet, racial slurs such as "squaw" are documented in the report as still being used in our community today.

Discrimination against Native Americans cannot be allowed if our community is to function as a whole. Now that the study has identified the problem, more must be done to combat it.

The university and community have taken steps in the last few decades to improve their relationship with the Tribe. In 2002, former President Michael Rao and former Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe Chief Maynard Kahgegab Jr. signed a resolution laying out the terms of the university's use of the Chippewa nickname. This year, the Mount Pleasant City Commission renamed Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day, recognizing the fact that Native Americans were here long before the famous explorer arrived.

While these and other strides are admirable, they are not enough. Continued improvements are essential for cohabitation and cooperation.