"They are making a mockery of what we call sacred," said Karen Snake, a protester and member of the Native American community. "They've mistreated Native people since they set up this school." The Students of Color Coalition (SCC), which has led the demonstration, is opposed to the existence of the group, and demands that the university cease giving special support to the club.

Since the occupation, demonstrations have been called to support the SCC demands, including a February 19 rally sponsored by The Committee to Challenge Racism Against Indigenous People, which drew between 250 and 300 people. The SCC has also hosted parties and sleep-overs that have drawn hundreds of supporters inside the Michigan Union building. Students have also organized to give tours of the occupied room to more than 2,000 people.

The students are especially angered by the use of racial stereotyping by Michigamua. Members of the society take mock Indian names. On the wall of the meeting room, decorated to resemble a wigwam, hangs a plaque dedicated to a past member, Fielding "the great scalper" Yost. A current UM hockey coach and alumnus of the organization, Gordon Berenson, goes by the name "Red Scalper."

The students also found many Native American artifacts. These include arrows and spearheads that date back an estimated 5,000 years, a pipe and a rare needlework that was found at the bottom of a water damaged box under a pile of papers. One of the demands of the occupants is that the items be repatriated to the Native American community.

Also insulting to the students is UM's support of Michigamua through exclusive, rent-free provision of space atop the Michigan Union building. The group does not have to reapply for recognition each year like all the other campus groups.  
 

A good-old-boys club

Michigamua is a good-old-boys club that dates back to 1902. Women were admitted only last fall. The membership of a given year is called a "tribe." It consists of 25 seniors who recruit 25 other students to make up the next years "tribe." Michigamua's alumni include former president Gerald Ford and former Michigan Supreme Court justice Frank Murphy. Many of the university faculty and administration have been members, honorary members, or have had other connections with Michigamua.

The fight against the club by Native Americans and other students goes back three decades. In 1972, a group of Native Americans informed Michigamua and the University of Michigan of their opposition to the group's racist practices. This was done again in 1978 and 1986. In 1989, a legal agreement between the University of Michigan, Michigamua, and a Native American complainant was signed, which read in part, "Michigamua does hereby eliminate all reference to Native American culture and pseudo culture and extensions and parodies thereof, with the one exemption being the name, Michigamua, for now and forever."

Over time, however, it became apparent that Michigamua was not abiding by the 1989 agreement, and their activities on campus had not changed. One student occupying the club, Colette Routel, said, "There were always reports over the years about drumming coming from the Student Union where the Michigamua room is located. There was a totem pole up on north campus, and there was a tomahawk on central campus." In 1997 the totem pole and the tomahawk were taken down. During the negotiations to remove them, certain Native American students saw the Michigamua meeting room and also saw that the Native American artifacts and decorations had not been removed.

Students told us that they formed the SCC to fight around issues such as this in 1999. Since the occupation began, they have published two issues of Voices from the Tower, their own independent publication designed to explain their views and host discussion on the occupation and Native American struggles. On February 4 a group of SCC members attempted to drop off a petition to Lee Bollinger, the university president. The newsletter passed out by the SCC details how they were harassed and hassled by the campus administration as well as public safety. Two days later, the students began the occupation.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home