I am a Native American student at UCSD. How can I get involved with the ITRC?
Welcome to campus! We are excited you are here. There are a number of ways to get involved with the ITRC. The easiest way is to come visit us in the Student Services Center Building. We are located on the first floor, East side, facing the trolley. Check our homepage for the most up-to-date hours. Stop in to study, meet peers, or just hang out. Another way to get involved is to attend one or more of our many programs. A list of many of our upcoming programs can be found on our online calendar and our newsletter, which we strongly recommend you sign up for. We hope to see you in the ITRC soon!
What is the Intertribal Resource Center?
The Intertribal Resource Center (ITRC) is one of six Campus Community Resource Centers serving the UC San Diego campus. We are focused on supporting Native American students and promoting educational access in our tribal communities. We also work to build connections or collaborations between the university and tribal communities through outreach programs and relationship building.
Is the ITRC only open to Native American students?
The ITRC is a campus resource for all students and the UC San Diego community. We focus on Native American/American Indian students and cultures and promote educational access in our tribal communities.
I’ve heard that UC San Diego is a “land grant” university. What does that mean?
A land-grant university, sometimes referred to a “land-grab” university, is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by the federal government to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. In 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act, which distributed public domain lands to raise funds for fledgling colleges across the nation. The Morrill Act worked by turning land taken from tribal nations into seed money for higher education. UC San Diego, like all other UC campuses, is a public land-grant university. To learn more about the history of land-grant institutions, please visit https://www.landgrabu.org/
On whose homelands does UC San Diego reside?
UC San Diego was built on the ancestral homelands of the Kumeyaay Nation. UCSD is an institution that benefited and continues to benefit from the dispossession of Kumeyaay people from their historic and contemporary homelands. Many believe that public institutions built on tribal lands bear a moral and ethical responsibility to acknowledge this harmful history. We encourage all those who work, reside, and study at UCSD to critically consider and acknowledge how their presence and the university’s existence are a direct result of Native peoples’ displacement and land dispossession. For more information, visit the Indigenous Futures Institute (IFI) website. If you do not reside in San Diego and are interested in learning whose homelands you reside on, visit native-land.ca.
Can the ITRC help me enroll in a tribe or find out more about my Native American ancestry?
No. Individual tribes have their own enrollment offices and processes for applying for enrollment. We recommend reaching out to the tribal nation you believe you have a relationship with and respectfully requesting information as to next steps. We also recommend talking with your family, relatives, and elders to gather your own history and stories. We understand that this process can sometimes be long and difficult, and stories, relationships, and history have unfortunately been lost due to colonization and erasure, but it is an important part of your individual story. We wish you luck in your journey.
Can the ITRC share my department's flyer on social media/in the monthly newsletter?
Yes! We are happy to share flyers for events that are relevant to our student community. Please use our Newsletter Submission Form to submit all necessary event information. Email itrc@ucsd.edu with further questions.
Land Acknowledgement FAQs
Should I read a land acknowledgement at myoffice’s/department’s event?
Choosing to read a land acknowledgment at your department’s/office’s event is a personal choice. To make this choice, ask yourself why you feel it is important to include a land acknowledgment. What are your intentions and motivations? How will you go beyond land acknowledgments to support Kumeyaay and other Native American communities?
If you decide to read a land acknowledgment at your event, we recommend you use the current land acknowledgement posted on the ITRC website (https://itrc.ucsd.edu/), which reads: "The UC San Diego community holds great respect for the land and the original people of the area where our campus is located. The university is built on the unceded territory of the Kumeyaay Nation. Today, the Kumeyaay people continue to maintain their political sovereignty and cultural traditions as vital members of the San Diego community. We acknowledge their tremendous contributions to our region and thank them for their stewardship.”
We will continue to work toward an official UC San Diego land acknowledgment, but the current draft was vetted by several Kumeyaay community members and the language was carefully reviewed. Creating a formal university land acknowledgement is a complex and lengthy process that involves significant community feedback and multiple revisions. We ask and appreciate that if you use the land acknowledgement on our website, you cite the Intertribal Resource Center. One, because we drafted the language in the land acknowledgment and two, because if anyone, on or off campus, has questions, comments, or concerns about the content or language, they know to contact the ITRC directly. We also recommend that folks use this language exactly rather than drafting individual university land acknowledgements. The reason for this is because this language has been vetted by some members of the Kumeyaay community who are partners and friends of the Intertribal Resource Center. We know how the statement is received by the community. Language and words can be very nuanced; we can’t be sure how any divergent language would be received by the community. Additionally, be sure you are pronouncing the name “Kumeyaay” correctly as a sign of respect.
Finally, the land acknowledgment should be delivered by the highest ranking individual within your office/department who will be present at the event. Please do not ask Native American people to read your land acknowledgement for you. For more resources on land acknowledgments please visit the following document.
Should I use a land acknowledgement in my email signature?
Again, choosing to include a land acknowledgment in your email signature is a personal choice. If you choose to do so, we recommend you use the temporary land acknowledgement that is posted on our website or an abridged version such as “I acknowledge that I am on Kumeyaay land” or “UC San Diego resides on the un-ceded territory of the Kumeyaay Nation.” If you are not working from the San Diego area, please visit https://native-land.ca/ to learn whose homelands you reside on.
Presentation and Tabling FAQs
Can the ITRC present at my department/office’s event?
The ITRC is a small unit with limited capacity to present at events. We operate both on-campus and in the larger tribal communities. We may take longer to respond to your request than other on-campus offices/departments. We appreciate your understanding and grace. That being said, we do approve presentation requests on a case by case basis. Please email itrc@ucsd.edu with the date, time, audience, and other presentation specifics and we will get back to you when we can.
Please note, if you are reaching out during Native American Heritage Month (November) or during powwow planning season (April-May), we are unavailable to present as we are busy planning, organizing, and hosting our own community events. But, good news, we are Indian all year long, not just during the month of November! It is as important to learn about Indigenous peoples, cultures, and issues in months other than November. We are happy to discuss possible events at other times of the year.
Can the ITRC table at my department/office’s event?
The ITRC has limited capacity to table at events. If you know or expect your event will have Native American students, prospective students, or community members in attendance, please email us directly at itrc@ucsd.edu and we will make it a priority to attend. If not, we consider tabling requests on a case-by-case basis. Tabling and resource requests can be submitted via the EDI Engagement & Resources Request Form.
If you would like some of our promotional materials for your own tabling, please email itrc@ucsd.edu and requests will be approved on a case by case basis.
Native American Opportunity Plan (NAOP) FAQs
What is the Native American Opportunity Plan (NAOP)? Who qualifies for NAOP?
The University of California Native American Opportunity Plan (NAOP) covers tuition and student fees for California residents who are members of federally recognized Native American, American Indian, and Alaska Native tribes. You may be eligible for NAOP if 1) you are a California resident, 2) you are an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe, and 3) your tuition and fees are not already covered by other financial aid sources (CalGrant, Pell Grant, other scholarship funding, etc.). For more information, please watch our educational NAOP webinar and visit the NAOP website.
How do I apply for the Native American Opportunity Plan (NAOP)?
Students do not need to apply for NAOP, but they mustfile their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you qualify for NAOP, UC will contact you directly with more instructions. If you are a UC San Diego student and you think you qualify for NAOP and have not been contacted by the Office of Financial Aid, you can email itrc@ucsd.edu and we will offer our assistance.