Almost 30 public speakers and a 20-minute board discussion preceded a 3-2 Chandler Unified Governing Board vote on one of the action items at its Sept. 9 meeting.
The final vote was then followed by a loud ovation.
CUSD will, going forward, have land acknowledgment at the start of each board meeting and graduation ceremony, primarily acknowledging the indigenous tribes and cultures that preceded American settlers in the East Valley in recent centuries.
The reading was initially on the Aug. 19 board agenda as an information-only announcement, though board Vice President Barb Mozdzen and board members Ryan Heap and Kurt Rohrs criticized President Patti Serrano for allowing that decision to go straight into practice, rather than putting it through a formal board policy change process.
Rohrs was the most adamant about reading a land acknowledgement at any events or meetings, saying it’s political. He even left the dais Aug. 19 for the rare circumstance of a school board member speaking during public input, though he remained in his seat Sept. 9 as he read a prepared statement.
“This statement is an empty performance gesture of wokeness, which really doesn’t accomplish anything and distracts from our core mission,” Rohrs read at the Sept. 9 meeting.
Rohrs added that the land acknowledgement is partisan, largely because institutions and boards that have a high percentage of Democratic Party supporters tend to read such statements at meetings, such as Arizona State University board and the Kyrene Unified School District Governing Board. He listed Mesa Public Schools and Queen Creek Unified on a list of boards that have no such meeting statement.
Rohrs’ opposition on the board to having the acknowledgement statement read at meetings was shared by CUSD board member Ryan Heap. He and Heap voted against it, with both saying it shows favoritism toward indigenous students.
“Highlighting any students’ identity in that way, eschews other people,” Heap said. He then asked rhetorically where such statements would stop, saying “Do we have an Irish month, and do we have an Anglo-Saxon month? I don’t need that. I don’t think either are appropriate, because then, we wander into areas that are political.”
Serrano, Mozdzen and board member Claudia Mendoza agreed reading the statement at meetings and graduations will help give indigenous students a voice and help them feel seen. That echoed what nearly all of the 29 public speakers who addressed the reading said Sept. 9, in addition to more who supported it at the Aug. 19 meeting.
About three people spoke in opposition to reading the statement at meetings and graduations. Ann Adams said she wants to know how reading a statement will help with academic achievement or declining enrollment.
Arizona College Prep senior Matt comfort, who had spoken Aug. 19 as well, said he thinks the statement is political and shouldn’t be part of graduations.
“We should absolutely teach Native American history and treat all communities with respect,” Comfort said. “Do not turn one of the most important days of students’ lives into an opportunity for your political message, Patti Serrano. Graduation belongs to the students.”
Basha High School Class of 2023 alum Cameron Bautista said he learned about feeling ostracized when he came out publicly as gay. He said reading any inclusive statements harm no one and make the district’s fewer than 2% indigenous population feel like they matter and they belong.
Several Hamilton High School students and faculty spoke, including Jessica Muro. She said the land acknowledgement is a small-but-meaningful connection that ties history to the schools and communities of today.
“I think it’s important to learn about and respect the people and the land where we live and go to school,” Muro said.
Diane Lundahl, a Spanish teacher and advisor to indigenous students at Hamilton, said a no vote would fail to be inclusive toward the 22 federally recognized sovereign indigenous nations in Arizona — many of which are represented among Hamilton students.
“Any school board member claiming this is not related to academic performances, has not taken the district’s (professional development course) on universal design for learning,” Lundahl said.
An early-meeting recognition took place for the district’s Indigenous Education Program, which is the August recipient of the Arizona Department of Education’s Copper Apple Award. Antonette Shirley, the district’s indigenous student engagement specialist, accepted that award for her department, and later spoke during public input.
“A land acknowledgement is not divisive,” Shirley said. “It doesn’t assign blame or guilt. It doesn’t ask anyone to apologize. It’s just a statement of respect.”
The board is set to meet only once in September and will next meet Wednesday, Oct. 7.
The full CUSD land acknowledgement statement is read aloud by indigenous people and is in a video found by clicking here.
Jason W. Brooks can be reached at jbrooks@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
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