Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day

Today is Indigenous Peoples Day in the United States, celebrating the invaluable contributions and resilience of Indigenous peoples, their histories and their cultures.

At Pacific University, we are proud to recognize and celebrate the many students, alumni and employees in our community who identify as Native American or Indigenous.

Over the next several weeks, we look forward to continuing this celebration with campus activities. Please watch for updates and additions on the university calendar. I hope you will join me for these opportunities to experience, honor and learn about a wide variety of topics.

On Oct. 21, the Music Department presents its annual Fall Choral Concert with the theme Horizons: Celebrating Indigenous People. All proceeds and donations from the concert will be used to help establish a scholarship for Indigenous students at Pacific.

The month of November, which is also Native American Heritage Month, will feature a series of lectures, interactive discussions, and other activities, in partnership with our Indigenous Student Alliance. Watch for more details coming soon.

Even as we recognize important voices in our community today, we recognize that Pacific’s history and relationship with the Indigenous peoples of this area are complex. I invite you to read our recent message marking our Charter Day for more information.

We also continue our Year of Wellness and Action initiative throughout 2022-2023 with a focus on Cultural and Social Health through October. Included in the learning materials are a variety of pieces on the legacy of Native boarding schools, like the Forest Grove Indian Training School with which Pacific was once associated.

My best,

Jenny Coyle '90, OD '93, MS '00
President